


Scars From The Past

by ThePurebloodPrincess2604



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:00:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 34,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21546436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePurebloodPrincess2604/pseuds/ThePurebloodPrincess2604
Summary: Raoul Silva/OC, also slight James Bond/OC and some M (Gareth Mallory)/OC. Rhine Jones is a seventeen year old girl. James Bond is her best friend, probably her only one too. He takes her on a mission, where they meet Raoul Silva, one of the most dangerous criminals in history. But what do you do when you discover that your enemy has a lot more in common with you than you would like?
Relationships: James Bond/Original Female Character(s), M | Gareth Mallory/Original Female Character(s), Raoul Silva | Tiago Rodriguez/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	1. bella ciao

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my fanfiction called 'scars from the past'. I've started writing this story about 3 years ago, so I'm quite happy that I'm finally sharing it with other people. I hope you guys like it, feel free to let me know what you think! Also, I name every chapter after a song I listened to/thought suited the chapter when I wrote it :)

Una mattina mi son svegliato  
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao  
Una mattina mi son svegliato  
Eo ho trovato l'invasor

 _One morning I woke up_  
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao  
One morning I woke up  
And I found the invader

O partigiano porta mi via  
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao  
O partigiano porta mi via  
Che mi sento di morir

 _Oh partisan, carry me away,_  
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao  
Oh partisan, carry me away,  
For I feel I'm dying

E se io muoio da partigiano  
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao  
E se io muoio da partigiano  
Tu mi devi seppellir

 _And if I die as a partisan_  
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao  
And if I die as a partisan  
You have to bury me"

_Bella Ciao - El Profesor_

I walk inside the room that's upon this unfamiliar ship. I let myself drop onto the bed, exhausted after days with no sleep whatsoever. When I look up from where I'm lying down, I see James standing in the doorway, a strange look on his face. He didn't look like he was tired, and I couldn't help but wonder how he could handle all of this without sleeping. He was either crazy, or missions became easier as time went by.

"Get some rest, Rhine, tomorrow is going to be a long day." James speaks up, blue eyes looking into mine.

"What are you going to do? Don't you need sleep as well?" I ask him, having a feeling he isn't going to bed yet.

"I still need to... talk to someone." He answers, unable to prevent a smirk from creeping onto his face.

"Eww, James, that's disgusting." I say, groaning in disgust. He probably wasn't going to get much sleep tonight. I had seen him look at the woman, and her at him in return, so I knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Sweet dreams." He merely answers, chuckling before heading out, closing the door behind him.

I don't even bother taking my clothes off, preferring to remain where I am. This bed feels like I'm in fucking heaven! James and I had been on this mission for... a while, I didn't even know how long exactly. We were on our way to catch the cyber terrorist who blew up MI6 and leaked the identities of secret agents. Apparently, the guy had some kind of history with M, but no one was willing to tell me what the story was exactly. James thought it was safer for me, just in case someone thought of me as a threat. Then again, I was only just being trained to become a spy, so I doubted anyone would think of me as a threat.

I've known James ever since I was little. My parents are both secret agents at MI6 as well, it's how they met, and when I was old enough, they'd bring me there after school, for they were often busy until late. I didn't really have anywhere else to go, so every day after school, I'd be at MI6, exploring. I'd pretend to be an adventurer, indian, or a spy, which is how I met James. I used to follow him everywhere, claiming we were a team. They told me that in the beginning, James was very annoyed with me, but over time he grew rather fond of me. After some jerk at my school slapped my ass and I arrived at MI6 crying when I was 15, me playing turned into James teaching me self defence. These last 5 years, James has been training me in all the things a spy must be able to do. I want to become a real spy more than anything else in the world, but I've still got a lot to learn. I'm with him on the mission as some kind of try-out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rhine finally meets the villain of the story.

_'There is a house in New Orleans_  
They call the Rising Sun  
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy  
And God I know I'm one' 

_The House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals_

Currently, we're walking on the island. It was deserted, not one person in sight, and I was fascinated by the sight of it. It was utterly quiet, making it feel like an ancient city from the past. I was too busy staring to hear what James and the woman were talking about. The island was beautiful. 

Suddenly, I shake awake from my staring, seeing the woman being led away by some of the guards. Oh boy, that couldn't be good. Although I'm beginning to feel a little wary, I keep my face uninterested, like James had taught me. I flinch when one of the guards suddenly grabs my arm, dragging me along in another direction than the woman. When I notice James is being forced to follow me as well, I can't help but sigh in relief. As long as he was with me, I'd be fine. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A while later, we're tied up to two chairs, seated in a room full of all kinds of high tech stuff I didn't understand shit about. All I knew was that it looked very complicated, and that this meant we'd found our guy. I still had to find out why James thought it was a good idea to let them tie us up, when we were the ones who had to capture a criminal. As if reading my mind, James glances over at me.   
"I'm sorry." He mutters, regret sounding through his voice. He had always been very protective over me, so being unable to do anything while I could easily get hurt seemed to hurt him.   
"Don't be, I'm having a great time! Don't you see that I love it here? Being tied up makes it even better." I say with a smile, the sarcasm dripping off my words.   
"No talking!" One of the guards barks. I roll my eyes, turning to look in front of me.   
"We'll get out of here, don't worry." James whispers before doing the same, turning silent. 

Sighing, I put on the most bored and uninterested look I can manage. Luckily, it's one of my specialties, the many disastrous dates I'd been one having trained the skilled expression I have right now. Suddenly, a noise sounds through the room, the elevator that's against the wall opposite us slowly making it's way down. I watch it attentively, as does James. The doors open with a 'ping', a man getting out. It must be the one we're looking for. 

"Hello, James. Welcome." The man speaks up, making his way over to us. He has a strange voice, soft and deep, a foreign accent sounding through. I kind of like the sound of it. Immediatelyn I mentally kick myself for thinking something like that. The guy was tall, with blonde, nearly white hair and a pair of the darkest eyes I had ever seen. The dark trousers, white dress shirt and white blazer suited him, making him appear even broader and taller. I had to admit that I was a bit intimidated.   
"Do you like the island?" He adds, not once looking at me. I was a bit offended by him straight ignoring me, but then again, it was probably better this way, so I stared off into the room instead. I didn't really pay attention to his story, which was something about his grandmother who owned a island but had a rat plague. It was a bit creepy, but was supposed to say something about James and himself. 

"I made my own choices." James argues, calm as always. It made me smile the tiniest bit, James always knew what to say. I nearly sigh in frustration, unable to stop myself from rolling my eyes. Stupid enemy to enemy conversations. I had never been someone who could sit still for longer than a few minutes. Suddenly, Blondie - I have no idea what his real name is - chuckles at something James said, sitting down on a chair that's placed in front of us.   
"You still put your faith in that woman, when al she did was lie to you?" Blondie asks with a smile. I glance up at him when I hear that. Apparently he didn't really like M so much. Well, it appeared we finally had something in common. She put up the 'innocent, old lady'-act a bit too well for me to be fully able to trust her. After all, she became the leader of a secret spy organisation for a reason, and I don't think it was because of her kindness. When you added the history I had with her, it wasn't hard to understand why I didn't like her... 

Suddenly, Blondie shows James' real score on the test. I do my best not to glare at the guy for laughing at him. It wasn't okay to simply break into someone's computer, let alone those at MI6. I thought those were impossible to break into.   
"Mommy was very bad." Blondie says mockingly. I can't hold back the deep sigh that escapes my lips at it. I didn't like this man. Not. One. Bit. 

Apparently, this draws his attention, for the guy suddenly looks me straight in the eyes. Always having been jumpy, my heart skips a beat, surprised. Even more surprising is that the guy genuinely gives me a look that tells me he didn't notice me before. Great, Rhine, drawing the attention to yourself is the way to go. It kind of surprises me. Had he really not noticed me before? In that case, he was even more easily distracted than me, which meant a lot. Anyways, I keep up the uninterested look, staring into his dark eyes. Blondie takes his chair, scraping it across the floor until it's positioned right opposite mine, a bit too close might I add. When he sits down, our knees are touching. Right now, I'm starting to feel slightly uncomfortable, heart racing like mad. It must have been slightly visible in my eyes, for he chuckles, causing shivers to roll down my spine. 

"And who is this beauty you brought with you, James?" Blondie asks James, not once breaking eye contact with me. James doesn't answer him, although I can feel him tense up next to me. The smile on the guy's face doesn't break, as he leans forwards towards me, getting his face even closer to mine. From this close, I noticed his dark eyes had lighter brown specks in them.   
"If you won't tell me, perhaps she will." He says, raising his eyebrow at me. I keep my mouth shut, surprising myself. I had no idea I could shut up for so long. I sure hoped James was proud of me right now. Blondie sighs, then grabs my face with his hand, cupping my cheek. I can't help but flinch at it, frowning at the unwelcome gesture. When he brings his face even closer to mine, our noses nearly touching, I back up against the chair as far as I can, but to no avail. Apparently, this guy had no idea what 'personal space' meant. 

"Your name, love, or I'll hurt your friend." He whispers, smiling at me. Worried, I glance over to James for a split second, but long enough for him to notice my hesitation.   
"Rhine." I finally say, voice softer than I would like. When he moves, I freeze up, wary of him. This dude was giving me the chills by just talking already. I had no idea what his next move would be, and it annoyed the hell out of me. When he moves his hand upwards, reaching the collar of my dress shirt, I'm cursing my hands that are tied up. James actually growls angrily at it, glaring daggers at the guy. It only amuses the guy further, for I can feel him unbutton the first button. Electricity shoots through my body when I feel his fingers brush against my skin. When he looks up into my eyes, I give him an outrageous glare. If my hands were untied, I would be kicking his ass right now. He had absolutely no right to do this!

He opens another button, moving my shirt with his hand to the side so he could see more. I curse underneath my breath, trying not to say something that would bring me or James into trouble. He glances up at Bond, who now looks as if he could kill him.   
"Is she your... girlfriend?" He asks. I shake my head, because James seemes like he wouldn't able to speak. I could get that, for I didn't think I could speak either, the rage making me see red behind my eyes. Blondie chuckles, turning his gaze back to me.   
"You're not? Then what are you two?" He asks, fingers brushing against my skin. I ignore the pleasant jolt it causes, focusing on my anger.   
"We work together." I grit out with difficulty. 

Blondie nods, only to freeze up all of the sudden. I knew what he was looking at, his hand still lingering there.   
"What are these?" He asks curiously.   
"Scars" I answer. I can feel all the anger leaving my body in an instant, coldness taking over. Memories appear from the depths of my mind, spinning around in my head until I feel dizzy... 

_'TRAITOR!'_

I bolt upright, eyes wide. I find Blondie look at me in surprise, James' calls for me now finally clear. He was trying to calm me down and was probably why I snapped out of it.   
"I'm okay, James." I say, gaze hardening when it lands upon Blondie.  
"Don't you ever fucking touch me again." I say, way too calm. My mind had shut everything out, as usual, so now I was okay again.   
"Alright. I apologize." He answers, although I don't really believe him. 

"Let's go for a walk. I want to show you something." He says after a moment, suddenly cheery. He stands up and moves to stand behind me, beginning to untie me. I had no idea how quickly he could switch moods like this. He was a madman, and I knew from experience that it wasn't safe to be around those. He doesn't look back when the ropes fall down to the ground, walking away. I hiss in pain as the blood begins to flow back to my hands. James is quick to grab my hands when he's loose as well, rubbing my wrists to make the pain go away. When Blondie motions for us to follow, we do. After all, there wasn't much you could do when there were guards pointing guns at your back. 

I look up at James, still a bit shaken from earlier, and find exactly what I wanted there. Without words, he told me that he was sorry, but that I was safe now that he was untied, and that he wasn't going to let that happen again. He even grabbed my hand, giving me a soft squeeze. Smiling, I squeeze back before letting go when we walk into the sunlight, onto a square. When everyone halts, I look up, body freezing immediately. We were standing next to a table, guns spread out all over it. In the middle of the square stands the woman that brought us here, tied up with ropes to a rock. Instinctively, I take a step towards her, wanting nothing more than to save her. The next second, I hear guns being readied, along with a pair of arms wrapping around my waist from behind, pulling me tightly against a broad chest. When I inhale sharply at it, I can hear Blondie chuckle against my ear, pulling me even closer.   
"Don't go now, love, we haven't even started yet." He says, sounding amused. 

Then he lets go of me, making me remember how to breathe again, fills two glasses with Scotch, then walks over towards the woman. I stare in shock at him as he says something to her, kisses her hard, then walks back. When I notice the shot glass placed on top of her head, I gasp slightly, already having a feeling what would follow. Blondie would make Bond shoot at the glass. He'd miss, even I knew that he hadn't trained enough yet to be able to hit the glass, he'd shoot her himself or Blondie. He probably wouldn't care so much, but James would, and that was my problem. I remembered how I trusted James with my life, and wanted to step forward, or at least do something, but I couldn't, I just stood there frozen on my spot. I can only stare as James takes the gun from Blondie. 

When Bond turns to look at me, it's the first time ever I see doubt in his eyes. I give him a look that says 'I trust you, you can do this'. I don't think he'll miss. He never does. I can see the guy muttering someting in James' ear, but can't hear anything, my blood drumming in my ears from the adrenaline. 

**"BANG!"**

James shoots. The bullet hits the rock next to the woman. Blondie takes the gun from James, making me tense up. 

**"BANG!"**

The woman's head falls forwards, and I immediately know she's dead. I let out my breath slowly, unable to tear my eyes from the dead body. 

"Rhine." I turn to look at James. He gives me a signal, telling me to run towards the woman. I frown in confusion, but obey anyways. Gunshots ring behind me, but I don't stop, trusting James. Only when I reach the rocks, I turn to look back, somehow still alive. Now, I see that James shot all of the guards, only Blondie still standing. He was slowly walking backwards, in my direction, laughing like a maniac, still holding his gun. I knew that the only reason he was still alive was because we were told to capture him alive. When all of us hear heli's flying towards the island, Blondie chuckles, while I slowly sneak up behind him, grabbing a gun from one of the dead guards. 

"Couldn't take me to her alone now, could you?" He asks James. It's when I decide it's my turn. Quickly, I sweep my foot underneath his legs, tackling him, then jump on top of him. He's lying face down, my gun pressed against the back of his head, my legs on either side of him.   
"Guess who?" I ask him teasingly, fully in my element now that we finally have him.   
"You know, darling, if you wanted to be on top of me, all you had to do was ask." He answers, his grin sounding through his voice.   
"Shht, you're ruining my moment." I mutter, pretending to be annoyed, even kneeing him in the ribs. He grunts at it, making me grin widely. 

When the choppers have landed and someone hands me a pair of cuffs, I put them on him before handing him over to the other agents. I walk over to James, who's giving me a strange look.   
"Is there something on my face?" I ask him, confused. Suddenly, he pulls me into a tight hug. I freeze up in surprise. James never hugs anyone.   
"I'm so proud of you." He mutters, making me grin widely, returning his hug.   
"I learned from the best only." I answer.   
We let go of each other and walk over to one of the helicopters that were waiting to take off, sand whirling around the two of us.


	3. porcelain

_Hold your horses_  
 _Hold, hold the border_  
 _'Don't come closer_  
Don't, don't let go of me  
I'm like porcelain  
When you're with me  
All, all I know is

 _Just about a million ways to harm you_  
All the things I shouldn't say  
Are the things that when I want to make you happy  
Only comes out of me'

Porcelain - Skott

  
"Good morning!" I exclaim as I walk inside the cell. The guards look at me as if I'm mad, but I ignore them, focusing on Blondie instead. He looks up, giving me a grin as he shakes his head. From the video footage I had watched earlier, I could tell he had been very bored. I currently had nothing to do, so I'd decided to pay him a visit.   
"I don't think that half past 12 counts as morning." He counters, making me chuckle.   
"It does in my world, so accept my good morning." I say with a smirk, making my way over to a couch I had made some people put there earlier, jumping down on it.   
"Morning it is, then." He says with a shrug. I glance up at him whilst pulling out a cup of the most delicious strawberry smoothie ever, studying him. He's wearing some sort of beige prison suit, a white shirt underneath. His blonde hair looks dirty in the bright white light of the glass cylinder shaped cell he's in. When our eyes meet, I can't help but smile softly. 

"Why are you here?" He eventually asks, making me look at him over my cup.   
"You seemed kind of bored, Blondie." I answer with a shrug.   
"Blondie?" He asks, nearly choking on his own words.   
"Well, I don't exactly now your name, now do I? Hang on a sec." I answer before getting up. By the door hangs a file of   
him. I grab it, quickly scanning through it.   
  
"Raoul Silva. Cyberterrorist, former agent, highly dangerous. That's all it says. Impressive." I say, giving him a look.   
"I think I like Blondie better than Raoul though." I add with a smirk, putting the folder back as he rolls his eyes. I walk back over to the couch, jumping down on it before pulling out a book from my backpack, flipping through the pages as I begin to read. Occasionally, I look up from the pages full of words to look at Raoul. Each time he looks right back, making me look away with a smile, a soft blush growing each time he does so. It was getting harder and harder for me to concentrate, especially with him looking at me.   
"What are you doing?" He eventually asks, clearly bored.   
"Reading." I answer, looking up at him. Something in his eyes flickers, but it's gone before I can see what it is.   
"What are you reading?" He asks, sounding genuinely curious.   
"The Hobbit." I admit with a grin.   
"Read to me." He says, giving me a surprisingly kind smile.   
"Err... fine." I decide, being unable to concentrate. Maybe this would help. The following hour, I'm busy reading out loud while Raoul listens, feeling more calm than ever before. 

"Rhine!" James' voice suddenly booms. I snap out of my reading, looking up to see James walk towards me with big steps.   
"Hi James!" I say happily, beaming at the sight of him. He quickly wraps me into a tight hug when I get up from the couch.   
"What are you doing here? I was looking everywhere for you." He whispers. When he pulls back, I see slight worry in his eyes caused by me spending time with Raoul.   
"Nothing special." I answer casually, glancing over at Raoul for the shortest while. James gives the man a stone cold look before turning back to me.   
"Anyway, your parents are back." He says, smiling as my eyes get wide in shock.   
"Already?!" I exclaim. He nods, making me grin widely.   
"They're in the meeting room, you should go check on them." James adds, making me nod rapidly before taking off in a sprint, throwing a last glance back at Raoul who stares right back before turning around the corner. I quickly make my way through the building. 

Right when I turn around the corner at high speed, I run into someone. I hit the floor face first, grunting as it's a rather rough landing.   
"I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" Someone asks, sounding shocked. When I open my eyes, I find a boy from around my age lying on the floor not far away from me, so I figure he was the one I ran into. He gets up, dusting off his clothes before extending his hand for me to take. He's got black, messy hair, a cute face and he wears a pair of round glasses. I had never met anyone who fit the term 'nerd' as well as him. Taking his hand, I get up with a little help from him, although I can feel he isn't anywhere near as strong as most agents here. It's kinda cute, really.   
"I'm fine, thanks. Sorry for running into you, by the way, I wasn't exactly paying attention to where I was heading." I say, giving him a friendly smile. He blushes at it, making my smile even wider. What a cutie. 

"I don't think I've seen you around before. I'm Rhine, Rhine Jones." I add kindly, extending a hand.   
"Neither have I. I'm Q, nice to meet you." He answers as he takes it, a little shy.   
"You're the new Quartermaster?" I ask him, very surprised, letting go of his hand as my eyes get slightly wider.   
"Yeah, I am." He says awkwardly, giving me a half smile, one side of his lips turning upwards.  
"I figured you'd be..." I begin, trailing off as I realize it's kind of rude of me to just assume.   
"Old?" He fills in, making me grin awkwardly.  
"Exactly, sorry if that was rude of me." I answer.   
"You're not the only one, so it's fine, really. I'm sorry to have stopped you from getting where you needed to be." Q says.  
"Oh, yes! I almost forgot! I've really got to go now, sorry. See you later!" I say, taking off in a run once again. I leave Q behind, a blush still dusting his cheeks. He really was a cute guy, I had to admit that. 

  
I finally reach the meeting room and faintly hear voices, so I swing the door open, barging inside. My parents immediately turn around, making me storm into their open arms.   
"Mom! Dad!" I exclaim, holding them as close to me as possible.   
"Sweety!" Mom answers, making me laugh as a few tears well up in my eyes.   
"You're already back!" I say as they let go of me, wiping the almost falling tears away.   
"We finished earlier than expected, dear." Mom explains, giving dad a smile.   
"Sweet!" I answer, making them chuckle.   
"We've heard a lot about you when we got back, dear." Dad speaks up, making me look up at him with an awkward smile. He has the same brown eyes that I have, his black hair beginning to show some grey. I have my mother's brown hair, her blue eyes giving me a proud look.   
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I probably should've told you I was planning on going with James. He couldn't help it though, he didn't even know I followed him, please don't be mad at him!" I say quickly, suddenly worried that I might be in trouble or something.   
"Of course not, sweetie, we're never worried when James is with you! We'd trust him with both your and our lives if it was necessary and he just proved that we weren't wrong when making that decision." Mom says with a smile. 

"Young lady, we are so proud of you. From what we've heard, you're the one who caught that cyber terrorist. That's very impressive at your age." Dad adds, making me smile up at him.   
"So you're not mad that I went on a dangerous mission with James?" I ask hopefully.   
"Of course not! But next time, just tell us." Mom answers, making me grin.   
"I will, mom." I say with a smile.   
"So, how was it like, going on a mission with the one and only 007?" My father says with a cheeky grin.   
"It was amazing! It's so much different than training!" I exclaim, still grinning. I had a feeling my cheeks would rip soon if I kept on smiling like that. 

Someone knocks on the door before entering, making my parents and I look over towards the guy.   
"Sorry to interrupt. M has requested your presence at Mr. Silva's interrogation that'll begin in a few minutes." The man says to me. I'm a bit surprised, but nod anyways.   
"I'll be right there." I add before turning back to my parents.   
"You should go, sweetie." Mother says, making me smile at her.   
"We'll chat later, promised!" I answer with a grin, turning to dash out of the room. I quickly follow the man all the way down to Silva's cell, a tight knot forming in my chest. I don't think this is going to end well. I hear a few people talk as we enter a room. It's grey, with a few desks and chairs in it, people working there temporarily after the bomb attack that destroyed MI6's headquarters, which was Silva's work. A small frown forms on my head at the thought, not quite being able to make the connection between the, I have to admit, handsome man that talks to me casually and the terrorist and former spy he really is. 

My gaze falls upon M, dressed in dark blue, looks as stern as always. My first reaction is a slight urge to back away, being uncomfortable around her, but I shake myself out of it.   
'She isn't that bad.' I tell myself sternly. James is with her, so I move to stand beside him, giving M a respectful nod.   
"Are your parents mad at me for taking you with me?" James asks softly, making me look up into his bright blue eyes.   
"No, they said they'd trust you with my life and that you proved they were right making that decision." I answer with a warm smile. His eyes show me that he's proud and glad about that, so I give him a playful grin.   
"Let's get this over with, shall we?" M speaks up eventually, making both James and I nod. She begins to walk, James and I following. As we walk through the hallway, the guards to his cell stand up, the white light from his cell lighting up the hallway through the glass walls. 

  
"Alright, time to say hello." M speaks up as we near the doors, making the guard unlock the doors. She actually sounded a tiny bit nervous. The doors open, showing Silva, who's sitting on the bench in his cell, shoulders slightly hunched over. He looks up at the sound of the doors opening, but doesn't turn to look at us. I follow James to stand a bit further in the room. At last, Silva turns. When his gaze falls upon M, he freezes up. A moment later, he smiles, letting out a soft laugh as M walks further into the room.   
"You're even smaller than I remember." He says, looking at her with a mocking smile.   
"Whereas I barely remember you at all." M answers. Auwtch. That was kinda hard of her.   
"Strange. For me, it feels just like yesterday." He responds, his warm but strange voice still shocking me.   
"Are you surprised?" He asks, moving his legs to face her.   
"Not particularly. But then you always were a slippery one." She says, voice cold and lacking emotion.   
"Maybe that's why you liked me so much." Raoul responds.   
"Oh, don't flatter yourself." M scoffs, making him make a sort of huff as he looks away, to his left. His eyes meet mine for a second, the darkness of them striking me. He, however, gives no sign of recognition whatsoever and I'm sure that I'm keeping my own face straight as well, far too intrigued with this conversation. 

"No remorse." He says. He sighs before continuing. "Just as I had imagined."   
"Regret is unprofessional." M says, making me roll my eyes internally. That's so typically her to say. Her coldness never ceases to amaze me. Silva laughs at it, head turning to me once more as he does so, although it's no happy laugh. Nothing about it reminds me of how he laughed with my comments earlier, no, those laughs had been genuine.   
"Regret is unprofessional! They kept me for five months in a room with no air. They tortured me. And I kept to your secrets, I kept to you." He says, words following each other quickly.   
"They made me suffer, and suffer. And suffer." He continues, the last two words finally showing some anger, quite similar to what I'm feeling right now. It just reminds me too much of myself to not be affected by his words.   
"And then I realized, it was you who betrayed me. You betrayed me." Raoul finishes. I notice James look at M, who looks at Silva as I look at her as well. There's maybe the slightest sign of sadness and regret in her eyes, but it isn't enough. Not for me. 

After a short while of silence, Raoul continues.   
"So, I had only one thing left. My cyanide capsule in my back left molar." He says as I can see that those words hurt him. I know that he must be reliving it.   
"You remember, right?" He asks, voice full of hurt, making me sad on the inside. He gets no reaction, however, so he continues. I'm surprised that he even can. I myself would already be crying if it were me in there.   
"So I broke the tooth and bit into the capsule." He says. He tries to continue, but can't and looks down for a second to recompose himself. I look at him with sadness in my eyes, no longer able to hide it.   
"It burned my insides, but I didn't die. Life clang to me like a disease." He says, trying to laugh the pain away.   
"And then I understood why I had survived." He continues, speaking slowly, getting on his knees as if to be able to be at eye-level with M. 

"I needed to look you in the eye one last time." He ends with a smile.   
"Well I hope it was worth it." M finally answers, making him nod.   
"Mr. Silva, you're going to be transferred to Belmarch prison where you'll be remarded in custody until the Crown's prosecution service deem you fit to stand trial." M says. The more she speaks, the angrier Raoul looks until he finally stands back up.   
"Say my name. Say it. My real name. I know you remember it." He says, getting angry now.   
"Your name is on the memorial wall of the very building you attacked. I will have it struck off. Soon, your past will be as nonexistent as your futere." M says coldly, now completely infuriating me. How can she be this cold?!   
"I'll never see you again." She adds, turning around to walk away.

"Do you know what it does to you? Hydrogen cyanide?" Silva calls behind her, rage visible in his eyes as he stands close to the glass wall of his own cell, making her turn back to him as the doors open once more. He then puts a hand in his mouth as he kneels once more. I hear a crack, making me flinch. I open my eyes to see him pull out some sort of prostethic, not willing myself to look away and be weak. I must remember this. For him. His left cheek sags inwards and downwards, making his face look almost monstruous, his teeth destroyed as well.  
"Look upon your work, Mother." He brings out, voice deeper than ever, shocking me. M looks for a while, then turns away, leaving the room. James follows and after a last look at him, one full of shock and pain for him and anger and sadness, I follow as well, his eyes following me all the way. 'I'm sorry, Raoul.' Is all I can think. The doors close behind me and my body begins to shake in rage as I begin to fully realize what just happened. We follow M back into the room from way earlier, it seeming to have been a long time ago.   
"Let me know what you recover from his computer. Has he transmitted the lists, if so, to who. I want this resolved." M orders an agent, infuriating me even more. How can she possibly continue like nothing happened?  
"Yes ma'am." The agent says, moving to go to work. Both her and James slow down, so I do the same. She turns around to look at the both of us.  
  
"His name was Tiago Rodriguez. He was a brilliant agent. But he started working beyond his brief and hacked the Chinese. The handover was coming on and they were onto him, so I gave him up. I got 6 agents in return and a peaceful transition." M says and I have to make fists of my hands as I fear I may not be able to stop myself soon.  
"We have to go." An agent says to M.   
"I want to know what's on that computer." She says, moving to walk away from us. 

"You know, I had been wondering if it was just me who you left behind somewhere to rot, but apparently I'm not the only one." I speak up, voice cold. M turns to look back at me, that look upon her face that I hated. It was one that said she was a cold hearted woman.   
"I only did the right thing with him. He did things he shouldn't have done and I got 6 agents in return for him." M answers.   
"The right thing? You let the man rot away in some cell and now you have a dangerous cyber terrorist going after you that wants you dead." I state, trying my best to stay calm.   
"That cyber terrorist is locked up safely so he can't hurt anyone."  
"You don't seem to realize that that cyber terrorist is a former agent of MI6 who trusted you with his life! You stabbed him in his back without regretting it for a second! You almost forgot who he was! Back there, you treated him like shit, while he wanted to commit suicide to escape the hell you put him in! You bloody damn well know that that man in that cell could've been ME! Heck, that could've even happened to James! You left Silva on his own, not even bothering to at least send someone to go help him, just like you did with me! What do you think would've happened if I didn't fucking save myself?! I would've probably ended up JUST LIKE HIM! The least thing you could've done when you were talking to him was apologize! But no, you didn't even show any emotion at all, because you   
couldn't care less! He's just one agent, after all, isn't he? Sure, you got 6 people in return for him, but that doesn't make it right!" I yell at her, getting angrier by the second as everything I've been holding back for years finally comes out, every single raw emotion sounding through my voice.  
  
"You sent me out on a mission when I was younger, fully knowing that I wasn't ready, despite what I kept telling myself. I'm scarred for life, do you realize that?! You sent NO help whatsoever, just because you thought I was already lost! Now, I have to find out that you left another man on his own and expect me to be all cool about it?! You even sent JAMES off to catch him while you fully realized he wasn't ready! What did you think, that two scarred people weren't enough?! Never have you even apologized to me! You DISGUST me!" I yell back, outrageous, a red haze blurring my vision. I turn around and storm back through the doors to Silva's cell, knowing that otherwise I'll hurt her. As I walk into that hall, I can't keep myself together anymore, the red haze fully taking over. 

I let out an angry shout I didn't even know I could get out of my tiny body, punching the first thing in sight. The sound of glass shattering sounds through the room, making me look up to see a tiny part of the glass wall separating the hallway from Silva's cell destroyed, shattered glass spread around me. I take a deep breath, eyes meeting Silva's, who seems rather shocked . I walk inside the room, through the now destroyed wall, the shards making noises under my shoes. I let out a grunt, my hand beginning to sting rather painfully. Looking down at it, all I'm seeing is a bloody mess with some glass shards. 

The guards walk inside, unsure what to do as they point their guns at me.   
"Oh please, drop the guns already. You know that I wouldn't help him escape. Help me wrap this up instead, I'll fix the   
window later." I scoff, motioning for one of them to follow me. I walk over to the couch, now seeing the first aid kit hanging on the wall behind it. I can feel Silva, or should I say Tiago Rodriguez, follow my movements with his eyes, probably very amused with my little outburst. I take the kit of the wall and walk back to the guard.   
"Could you?" I ask him, giving him the box and pointing towards my right hand that has blood all over it, leaving a   
trail on the floor. He nods and leads me to the couch. He sits me down, puts the box next to me, opens it and... looks like he doesn't know what to do with it. I groan.   
"You don't know how to clean a wound and wrap a bandage?" I ask him. He just nods, cheeks flushing red in shame.

"I've got it." I hear someone say. I look up to find James standing there. He walks towards me and takes my hand in his, shaking his head at the sight of it, grinning slightly as he looks up.   
"Yeah, I know" I mutter. He asks for some water and starts to wash the blood away when he gets it, all of it falling into a bucket. It's quite a lot, but I can handle it. I've seen much worse than a bit of glass in my fist. When I look down at my hand, I can see pieces of glass imbedded in my skin, blood already welling up again. James takes a pair of forceps and starts digging into my flesh to pick all the glass out. I groan, jumping slightly at the pain. Tiago chuckles at it and I glare up at him in return. His dark eyes meet mine, causing him to chuckle again.   
"Bloody idiot" I mutter, loud enough for him to hear it. James glances up at me, following my gaze, then picking out another piece of glass, dropping it in a small box that he placed upon the couch.   
"You shouldn't have defended him." he says and to my regret Tiago hears it too.   
"What did she do?" He asks Bond curious, making me glare at him.   
"Don't you dare-" I begin threatening, interrupted by a stinging pain. I wince and Bond keeps on pulling the glass out.   
"Shut it, I'm trying to clean your wounds and if you don't I might.Just.Go.Too.Far." He says, digging into my skin at the last words harshly, making me grunt. I curse underneath my breath, but remain quiet. 

"Why didn't you just shut your mouth when you needed to?" He says.   
"Because she had no right talking like he isn't human! It could've been me in there and you know that!" I hiss angrily through clenched teeth. Bond sighs, starting to disinfect my hand.   
"I know you think that, but you're not. You're not like him, you should know that. And M didn't have a choice. What would you've done if it was your choice?", he asks.   
"I would've at least tried to rescue him, just like I believed and hoped that someone would come for me. You don't understand how it's like to keep hoping, only to realize they won't come for you, not even the people you would trust your life with." I say, getting more distraught by the second.   
"I understand that, Rhine. Just remember he blew up your home, our agents, and he wants to kill M. Don't think he'll spare you if you're in his way, just because you care" he says. I turn to look at the wall, breaths coming out shakily. A memory slowly forces itself up in my mind. I can feel it, and give Raoul a panicked look before blacking out. 

I don't remember dropping down, straight onto James who only just finished wrapping my hand into a nice, clean bandage, scaring him to death as he barely manages to catch me.


	4. boom boom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for... enjoy!

_'Boom boom boom boom_  
Gonna shoot you right down  
Take you in my arms  
I'm in love with you  
Love that is true  
Boom boom boom boom  
I like the way you walk  
I like the way you talk  
When you walk that walk  
And you talk that talk  
You knock me out  
Right off of my feet'

_Boom Boom - The Animals_

  
_"Oh, dollface!" I hear him sing-song. I look up just in time to see him burst through the door, an excited grin upon his_  
face. Automatically, I smile up at him, curious to hear what he has to tell. He walks over towards me before sitting down   
on the couch, next to me, leaning towards me with a grin. Patiently, I wait for him to start talking.   
"I discovered a secret today!" He exclaims, hands coming up to grab my cheeks, gently squeezing before moving to stroke  
my cheeks. I giggle at his actions, his dark green eyes darting down to my lips for a second, then back up to meet my   
brown ones once more.   
"What did you find out?" I ask him, turning a bit more serious.   
"Someone of our team has betrayed me." He answers, voice getting deep, eyes turning dark, his hands squeezing me   
tighter. I can only stare at him, doing my best not to show the fear that begins to creep into my heart. He couldn't now,   
right?   
"It appears we have a spy amongst us. Any idea who, uh, it might be?" He continues, giving me a look. He knows. Oh shit.  
I shake my head in fear, but he moves his hand to the back of my head, pulling my hair harshly to make me hold still. I   
wince in pain at it.   
"A shame. I could swear you know who it is. Anyway, want me to tell you?" He asks, making me even more afraid.   
"It's you." He growls out. I try to protest, to explain, but suddenly he has a knife in his hand, scaring the shit out of me.   
"J, I can explain-"   
"You're a SPY. YOU BETRAYED ME." He's yelling now, pure rage in his eyes.   
"Please, I didn't mean to-" I begin, but I'm cut off by a hot, searing pain in my shoulder, causing me to scream in pain.   
Red colours my mind.   
How could you? 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I wake up, it feels like someone is banging a hammer against my head. Opening my eyes, I find myself looking at a white ceiling. Slowly, I move so I can sit, apparently lying on a bed. It appears that I'm in MI6's personal hospital wing. There's no one with me, but I recall everything turning dark when James was wrapping up my hand. Sadly enough, I also remember the awful memory that I dreamed of. Frowning, I shake my head in an attempt to get the memory out of my head before getting out of bed. At first, I feel kind of dizzy, but the feeling fades after a while, making me walk out of the hospital wing. I was on my way to M's office. Perhaps I had been a bit too harsh to her. I knew that she had to make difficult choices, but I had been clouded by my own past. I felt like I should apologize to her, even if I thought I was right. After an awful lot of stairs, I finally reach her office, knocking on the door before entering. Glancing around, I find the office empty. For a moment, I stand still in the room, staring at the dog statue that's placed upon her desk. 

"Ahum." Someone coughs. I yelp in surprise, jumping as I spin around towards the door. In the doorway stands a man. He has blonde hair that's turning grey and a pair of the most beautiful, bright blue eyes I have ever seen, wearing a dark blue suit that complements his eyes.   
"Oh, uh, hi." I eventually manage to bring out, still staring at him. He was really handsome if you asked me.   
"I must apologize for scaring you. May I ask what you're doing here, though?" He asks politely, entering the room.   
"Actually, I was looking for M. I had to talk to her about something." I explain with a smile.   
"She's at the court right now. She left about half an hour ago." The man answers.   
"Oh, alright then." I say, a bit surprised that I forgot she had to go there.   
"I don't think we've met before." He says after a short moment of silence, having studied me with those blue eyes of him.   
"I don't think so either. I'm Rhine Jones." I answer, moving towards him to shake his hand.   
"Gareth Mallory." He responds with a smile, giving me an amused look as we shake hands.   
"Well, it was nice to meet you. I hope we'll meet again." I say politely, looking up at him.   
"I'm sure we will." He answers mysteriously, confusing me as I make my way out of the office. 

I'm randomly walking through MI6, when I find James and Q. They're in a room full of computers, something difficult projected on a screen against the wall opposite me. James and Q are studying the thing on the screen.   
"What on Earth is that?" I ask, walking inside before hopping onto the desk next to Q. He jumps at it, startled, whereas James merely smirks. I return my attention to the screen. It looks like a giant red spider web to me or something, text surrounding it.   
"Silva's laptop. It's heavily guarded, we're trying to hack our way in." Q explains. I merely frown as I watch the screen. High tech wasn't really something I was good at, especially something like this.   
"What happened to your hand?" Q suddenly asks, making me glance down at it. James did a neat job, making sure I could still use that hand.   
"I might have punched a glass wall." I say with a shrug, giving a grin at his shocked face before looking back over to the screen. Honestly, I couldn't make a thing out of it. Suddenly, James seems to have figured it out, and he gives Q orders, which I also don't understand.   
"We can unlock it!" Q exclaims excitedly.

"Are you sure this is a good idea...? I don't feel too good about this." I speak up cautiously, seeing the red lines change as Q types in words.   
"It's the only way to retrieve the hard drive!" Q argues.   
"Don't you think Silva thought of that as well? He isn't exactly stupid." I argue in my defense, but to no avail. The web unlocks, and then the alarm begins to blare loudly, red lights flickering.   
"The security!" Q shouts worriedly, and I curse.  
"Told you this was a bad idea!" I shout. 

"The cells!" James exclaims. I jump off the table, sprinting out of the room, to the cells with James right behind me. When we finally get there, his cell is empty, the guards knocked out on the floor. There's a hole in the floor, but no sign of Silva.   
"He's going through the old tunnels underneath the subway! I'll go through there, you make sure you get to M in time! He's after her!" James orders quickly. I immediately spin back around, running all the way back to the garage. Right now, I was glad James had forced me to go jogging almost every day. I grab a random set of car keys that hang against the wall and unlock the car. The lights flash, making me run over to the black Audi. I quickly open the trunk, checking if the guns we have ready in every car in case of emergency are there, which is the case here as well. I get in quickly and speed off to the court. 

Despite the awful traffic here in London, accompanied by lots of curses and honks from me, I manage to get there relatively fast. My gut, however, tells me I might not be in time. When I finally park in front of the building, I quickly grab a handgun, putting it in between my waistband and belt, then grab the biggest gun in the trunk, swinging it over my shoulder. Hearing screams and gunshots, I follow the noise and the opposite direction of people running out of the building, the adrenaline pumping through my veins, making me go faster than ever before. I finally find the room they're in, smoke coming from underneath the door. Grabbing my gun, I open the door. The next second, I have a gun pointed directly at my forehead. Freezing up in shock, I look up, straight into a pair of familiar blue eyes. 

"I NEARLY SHOT YOU!!" Gareth Mallory exclaims, eyes wide in shock.   
"I see that!! Where's Silva?! Is M alright?" I ask, having to shout.  
"She's over there! We have to get her out of here!" Gareth answers. 

In the middle of the court is a wooden table, M hiding behind it with some others, a door opposite mine and Gareth's. James is standing there, our eyes meeting for a brief moment, making him nod at me. On the opposite side of our side of the room stand men along with Raoul. He's dressed as a police officer, how ironic. I fire a couple of shots at them, succesfully hitting 2 of Raoul's men. I look around for something that could help us, when my eyes land on a fire extinguisher that hangs near our door. I grab it and toss it to Mallory, who thankfully catches it.   
"I'll cover you!" I shout, focused on making sure no one hits him. He unlocks it, throwing it into the room. Smoke fills the room, causing Raoul to growl angrily, making me grin. Gareth and I jump out of the cover of the doorway, shooting even more of his men as James runs over to M, helping her up. They run over to our side as I cover for them. 

"Rhine! Where's the car?!" James shouts.   
"Right outside! Follow me!" I answer, leading them out the side door. I throw a last glance at Mallory, who's still firing at Silva and his crew. Our eyes meet, and he smiles before I lose sight of him. I run a bit in front of M and James, making sure the coast is clear, eventually safely reaching the car.   
"I'm driving!" James orders, so I quickly get in next to him, M already in the backseat. He starts the car, and then we're speeding away. I stay tense as we drive through London, desperately wishing for the traffic to go faster, but we eventually manage to get out of the city. I sigh and turn around, facing M. She's sitting there, looking oddly calm, but her eyes show that she was surprised by Silva's attack.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you for what happened to Silva. I might have overreacted and I wish to apologize." I speak up, voice now soft.   
"It's fine. I should've thought of how it would affect you, being there." M assures me, giving me a tiny smile.  
"Still , I got carried away." I say, making her shake her head.  
"It's fine, Rhine." She says sternly, ending the conversation. I turn back and sit down in my seat. James looks out of the front window with a stern look upon his face, and I turn to look outside the window as well, curling up in my seat. Soon, exhaustion from the fight takes over, and I find myself falling asleep.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I wake up, I'm alone in the car. For a moment, I'm confused, but when I sit up I find James and M outside the car, looking at something ahead of us. Having had a nightmare filled with blood and gunshots, I decide some fresh air might not be a bad idea, and get out. Only now, I notice James has switched cars, for I'm currently looking at his old, grey Aston Martin. I'm surprised I didn't wake up during the switch, but grin widely, for I've always loved this car. Walking over to James and M, I move to stand beside him.   
"Where are we?" I ask. Down the hill stands a large mansion surrounded by fields. It looks old and deserted to me, but I like the sense of nostalgia hanging in the air. James is the one to answer me:   
"Skyfall. My home." 

After a moment, we get back inside the car, James driving us down the hill, parking in front of the house. Up close, it is even more impressive.   
"Wow." I mutter, getting out of the car. James leads the way, opening the door and entering first, M in between him and I. Suddenly, I find yet another gun pointed at me, or this time, us.   
"Not again." I sigh, rolling my eyes.   
"Don't worry. It's our housekeeper." James speaks up, making me relax slightly. Finally, someone who wasn't planning on killing us! He seems very kind, reminding me of Hagrid from Harry Potter for some reason, but that must be a good thing, right? Anyways, he is immediately willing to help us. Unfortunately, there aren't many weapons left in the house, except for a couple of old hunting guns. It appears we'll have to improvise. Luckily, James brought the guns that were in the trunk of my car. I end up with my large gun from earlier, making me very happy. 

While M begins to make some small bombs, I grab knives from the kitchen, figuring they'll be perfect to use after I sharpen them. I hide one in my right combat boot, another in between my belt and waistband. My gun is swung around my shoulder, resting on my back, ready for when I have to use it.   
"Rhine." I look up when I hear James' voice, finding him staring at me, standing in the doorway. I give him a smile, then continue polishing the knife I'm busy with.   
"Q set up a trail for Silva to find us. I want to finish this for once and for all." He explains.   
"Great. When do you think he'll be here?" I ask, unable to prevent my stomach from doing a strange backflip when Raoul was mentioned.   
"Q guesses at sundown." James answers. I can tell he's got something else to say, so I wait patiently.   
"Rhine, you don't have to stay. You can take my car and return to London while you still can. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you again because of me." He says, more serious than ever before.   
"I'm staying." I say, getting up from where I'm sitting.   
"But-"  
"No, James, I'm staying. There's nothing you can do to change my mind. Besides, without me, you're doomed." I joke, giving him a smile. Suddenly, I'm wrapped into a tight hug, making me wrap my arms around his waist.   
"We can do this." I whisper, almost tearing up. When we finally let go of each other, both of us have managed to put away our emotions behind the thick mental wall all agents must have. 

We're busy for hours, trying to make the mansion as bulletproof as possible, placing wooden planks in front of all the doors and windows, eventually making me feel more like a handyman than a spy. When we're finally done, I sigh, tired but still on edge, the adrenaline pumping more and more in my veins as I can see the sun begin to set. We gather in the dining room, readying ourselves as James explains his plan. Suddenly, I hear a vague noise, making me frown. Cautiously, I walk towards a window, gazing through a void in between the planks. The noise gets louder as James moves to stand besides me, and I'm able to make out a melody. 

_'Boom boom boom boom_  
Gonna shoot you right down  
Take you in my arms  
I'm in love with you  
Love that is true  
Boom boom boom boom'

I can't help but scoff at the choice of music. Then, my eyes land upon something in the sky, making me freeze up. James follows my gaze and loads his gun. Right there, nearing us at high speed, is a freaking helicopter, and it isn't hard to guess who's inside.   
"Always gotta make an entrance." James speaks up, making me nod in agreement, unable to tear my eyes away from the sky.  
"You two, to the kitchen. Now." He orders M and the housekeeper, who obey. Next, he punches a hole in the window with his gun and begins to fire at the chopper, making me do the same. Slowly, it starts to turn until it's facing the house with it's side. The door slides open, a machinegun firing back. 

"Holy shit!" I curse, running after James to seach cover in the kitchen.   
"Get behind the arch!" James shouts, all four of us quick to listen. The gunshots seem to come from everywhere, making me sprint to reach an arch, barely dodging one of the shots. I yelp when a piece of wood inbeds itself in my leg.   
"Rhine! Are you okay?" James asks, worried, as I slide down to the floor, gasping in pain. In a second, he's by my side, checking the wound.   
"I think I can stand. Just pull the wood out." I grunt, doing my best to breathe deeply, biting away the pain.   
"Alright. One, two, three..." I scream in pain when he pulls it out. 

"FUCK GODDAMMIT!" I curse, hissing. James helps me get up, the shooting having stopped for a moment, and I stumble along with him, his arm around me for support. It hurts like hell, but I keep going. I was not going to die today. We find M standing close to the housekeeper, seeming slightly scared, giving me a worried look. In that moment, I could see why she was who she was.   
"Go to the chapel. Use the secret tunnel." He orders the housekeeper. I look up at him, unsure of what to do.  
"Do you think you can walk?" He asks me, giving me a worried look. I slowly get go of him, moving to lean on my uninjured leg, trying it out by taking a tiny step. I bite my lip in pain, but it is doable.   
"I'll be fine." I mutter. Outside, I can hear the helicopter land, filling my heart with fear, but I force myself to push it away to a far corner in my head. The housekeeper grabs a lantern, opens a secret panel and helps M get inside. He follows after her, making me follow him. I throw a last glance at James before closing the panel behind me. We're currently in a tunnel. Even though I'm sure I can't go any faster with my leg, we're not going fast enough to my liking, the gunshots sounding above us making me flinch every single time. Sometimes, the ceiling even shakes, worrying me even more. Being buried alive wasn't really on my to do list. 

"Are you sure this tunnel is safe?" I ask the old man, praying for them to go faster.  
"It's old, like the house, but it'll hold." He says. Did nothing disturb that man? After a long while, the tunnel ends, and I begin to panic. Then, I see a panel above us, pushing it open with a relieved sigh. Climbing out is harder than I expected, nearly making me scream in pain when I hit my injured leg, but eventually get out. I check the room we're in, which is apparently a chapel, and help M and the housekeeper out of the tunnel. Once they're standing, I close the panel, limping over to a window. I freeze up in shock. The entire mansion is standing on fire. 

"He'll be fine." M speaks up, knowing I'm worried for James, but I can hear that she's mostly trying to convince herself. I turn away from the window, suddenly seeing M wince in pain.   
"What happened?" I ask worriedly, quickly making my way over to her.  
"Nothing." She tries to protest, but when I pull her coat to the side, I find a bleeding wound in her side.  
  
"Shrapnel?" I ask her, making her nod. I quickly think, then shrug off my jacket. I tear it apart into long pieces of fabric, making an improvised bandage, hoping it'll stop the bleeding a bit.   
"You'll freeze!" M protests. I only give her a stern look.   
"Press on the wound." I order, making her do so.   
"I think it's best if you turn that lantern off." I say to the housekeeper, making him do so. I move back to the window, the chapel still a bit lit up by the fire, and freeze up once more. There, far away, I can see a black figure. He seems wounded, limping on his way, but keeps going, and I immediately know who it is.  
"Silva's coming." I manage to bring out, voice almost shaking. He looks menacing, striking fear inside me for the first time, his blonde hair catching the fire, making it light up in the dark. He's determined to do the one thing he came here for, the reason why he thinks he survived. He's here to kill M. 

I get a hold of myself while he approaches slowly and grab my gun, unlocking the safety.   
"Hide behind the altar. No matter what happens, no matter what I do or how crazy it seems, stay there. Run if you get the chance." I order the two elderly people as I desperately try to form a plan inside my head.   
'Okay, find his weaknesses, Rhine, you can do this.' I order myself in my head, overthinking the times I spoke with him or saw him.   
'Think, think, THINK!' I frown, trying to come up with something, anything. I wasn't just going to give ourselves over.   
There was a chance James died, which meant I was the only one standing in between him and M. 

Silva seemed pretty easily distracted. When things wouldn't go as planned, he'd get frustrated. Slowly, a crazy, very desperate idea begins to form inside my head. I shake my head at the ridiculousness of it all, not to mention what danger I'd put myself in. If you added the very high chance things would go wrong, it didn't even seem like a plan at all, but it was all I could come up with, except for killing him. For some reason, killing him didn't sit well with me. When I look out of the window once more, I find Silva closer than before. Now, I can even see his face, blood smeared all over him, a murderous look in his eyes as he nears us. I jump away from the window, limping over to stand in the middle of the chapel, in between the entrance door and the altar, where M and the housekeeper are. I tense up, adrenaline pumping through my veins rapidly, my heart racing like mad. Then, the door knob turns, painfully slow, and I hold my breath as the door opens, raising my gun. 

Raoul limps inside. He quickly catches sight of me and points a gun of his own at me in no time, making me hold onto my own tighter. Up close, he looked even more horrible.   
"So, you're the one who's going to stop me?" Raoul laughs, voice mocking.  
"Don't you come closer." I warn him, my brown eyes meeting his dark ones. I hope that he doesn't notice that I'm shaking slightly. I didn't know how much longer I would be able to stand.   
"Or what? You'll shoot me?" He asks mockingly, raising an eyebrow. I cock the gun as an answer, the sound of it resonating in the silence.   
"Try and you'll find out." I dare him, more serious than ever. I really, really don't want to kill him, but I will if I have no other choice. He seems to be thinking for a while, his eyes taking in my defensive appearance.  
"You're really defending this woman, after all she did to you?" He asks incrediously.  
"Yes." I answer, voice firm.  
"You're an idiot." He laughs, making me flinch softly.   
"I'm doing what's right." I argue, still pointing my gun at him. What he doesn't know, is that I don't have that much bullets left. He laughs once more, throwing his head back in his neck.

"You're not going to shoot me!" He exclaims, pretending this is hilarious, shaking his head.   
"What makes you think I won't?" I ask him, eyes challenging him.  
"You're shaking!" He laughs, making me curse inwardly.  
"You don't want to shoot me." He adds, calming down a bit now. I frown at it, grabbing a better hold of the gun.  
"I know, because you're different. You're not like the others. You know what it is to be left alone, to have no one to save you." He argues, voice softer. He's trying to manipulate me, I realize, and I clench my jaw.   
"Put the gun away, and I'll do the same." He says, eyes turning slightly softer, confusing me. Then, he takes a step forwards, making me flinch. Automatically, I take a step back, nearly buckling through my knees due to the pain that flares through my leg.   
"You're hurt." He states. Was he really giving me a worried look?  
"Your aim is good." I answer, gritting my teeth in pain. He takes another step. 

"Don't do that." I warn him, eyes flashing in danger. He takes another one.   
"Take one more step and I will shoot you." I continue, gripping my gun tightly. Raoul takes another step, slowly, and another, and then-   
  


**'BANG!'**

I shoot, my bullet hitting the door behind him. He jumps in surprise.   
"That was a warning. Don't come any closer. I'll shoot you." I say, voice nearly trembling.   
"You're serious." He says, voice a bit surprised.  
"I am." I confirm.  
"Such a shame. The two of us could've been a wonderful team." He sighs dramatically as he says it. There's silence for a moment. Next, he takes a step forwards.   
"Don't." I warn him, trying to stop him with words.  
"You won't really shoot me." He says, sounding confident. He takes another step, and another, and I brace myself. My finger slowly moves closer to the trigger, and when he takes another step, I...

_'Click.'_

Shocked, I stare at my gun. I really aimed to shoot him in the head. Holy shit. I actually meant to kill him. Raoul stares at me in shock for a moment, eyes wide. Then, he begins to chuckle, laughing louder and louder.   
"It seems that you're out of bullets, dear." He mocks. I curse under my breath. My head is filled with chaos, until my last, desperate plan pops up in my head. I gather my courage, take a deep breath and quit thinking. I let go of the gun, hearing it fall onto the ground. Raoul gives me a dark smirk.  
"Good girl."   
He walks closer towards me, making my hands shake, but I stand still until he's closer to me than ever before.   
"I'll give you one more chance. You're just like me, Rhine. Deep down, you want to kill her as much as I do. Join me. Join me, and I'll forget all about you trying to kill me earlier. We'd make a good team." He says, one arm wrapping around my waist, the other still holding his gun.   
"Fine." I whisper after a moment, looking up into his eyes.   
"Really?" Raoul asks, clearly surprised himself.   
"You're right. We're the same." I answer, moving to put my hands against his chest, taking a step closer to him. He looks down into my eyes, a strange look in his. Right now, he doesn't seem that murderous anymore. He's completely focused on me, as I planned. I hate what I have to do next to get my plan to work, but gather everything I have inside me to keep it together. 

I close the distance between us, moving to stand on the tip of my toes to reach him, crashing my lips into his. He seems shocked, freezing up for a moment, but kisses me back the next second, making my head spin. He quickly takes control, the kiss turning hungry and demanding. I don't know what to think or how to think, but all I know is that I'm shocked by how good this feels. I barely manage to keep my plan in mind, nearly losing all reason when he backs me up into a wall and roughly presses me against it. His hands are holding my hips, my arms around his neck as I resist the urge to go through his hair. Instead, I motion with my hands for M to run, to get out of here. I was performing the oldest spy trick there was: seducing the enemy. James had taught me that sometimes, it was still the best way to get the information you needed, although he hadn't said that it could feel this mindblowing. When he pulls back to get us both some much needed air, he brings his lips up to my ear, gently putting me back down on my feet. 

"Did you really think I would fall for that?" He asks, breathing heavily. My whole body freezes on spot. I open my eyes slowly, seeing him look down at me with a dangerous look in his eyes. He laughs darkly, no kindness left whatsoever, making me a bit afraid. From the corner of my eye I can see M and the housekeeper, standing halfway on their way to the door. Raoul's eyes follow mine for a moment, and he grins devilishly.  
"I will get my revenge, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." He says, some twisted form of triumph sounding through his voice.  
"I have waited so long." He whispers, looking over to M, who looks back, fear in her eyes. Worry is visible in my own as tension fills the room.   
"Raoul, please don't do this-" I beg, seeing him raise his hand that's holding the gun. 

**'BANG!'**

The sound is ear deafening, especially this close to me. I flinch in shock, and watch M fall down to the ground. I'm unable to move, to do anything, staring as the leader of MI6 falls to the floor, dead.   
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" I yell in shock, tears filling my eyes. My knees give up, and I begin to fall, only to have Raoul grab a hold of me and put me down on a bench.   
"What did you do?" I whisper, staring at her body that's lying on the floor.  
"RHINE!" I hear a voice roar. The door slams open, and there stands James. His worried eyes go from me, frozen where I sit, to his housekeeper, to M. I can see something break inside him, breaking my own heart, and tears begin to stream down my cheeks.   
"You." James says, voice shaking with rage as his blue eyes fall upon Silva, who's still standing in front of me. 

Everything that happens next is in a blur, and the next thing I know, Silva's holding me in front of his body, in between him and James. James has his gun pointed at him, but I'm in the way, and only now I notice the gun that's pressed underneath my chin.  
"Come closer, and I shoot her." Raoul threatens. I can see the internal struggle James is having. I know that after the incident with the woman on the island, he doesn't trust his shooting skills anymore.   
"Just shoot me, bastard!" I yell angrily. Raoul presses the gun harder against my flesh, making me quiet down anyway.  
"Shhht now, love." He whispers devilishly, making me even angrier with him.   
"I just killed your beloved M. Do you want me to shoot your little sunshine as well?" Raoul asks, and I can practically hear his smile.

"It would be such a waste of beauty." He adds, moving his lips closer to my ear. I shiver, but keep my stare as burning and hateful as possible, not that he can see it though. James doesn't move, his eyes moving from me to Raoul and back.   
"Listen carefully, James. Try to shoot me, and she's dead. Let me go, however, and she'll be alive." James hesitates, glancing over at me for a moment.   
"You know I can shoot her before you hit me." Raoul adds.   
"How do I know you won't just kill her after I let you go?" James asks suspiciously.   
"I promise you that I won't do that. I would never hurt her, you know that." Silva says, surprisingly serious. What does he mean, 'I would never hurt her'?  
"James, don't do this. You can't let him get away with this." I protest, but quickly shut up when I feel Silva pressing the gun harder into my chin. When I see the defeat beginning to appear in James' eyes, I close my eyes in terror. Raoul seems to notice it as well, for he slowly takes a step backwards, forcing me to do the same.   
"James, no." I mutter, but he doesn't move, his eyes telling me how sorry he is.   
"JAMES!" I scream, Raoul dragging me outside. 

I do my best to keep up with Raoul's fast tempo of walking, but after 20 steps, I fall to the floor, my leg giving up on me.   
"Fuck!" I curse, doing my best to avoid tears from welling up in my eyes, but this shit is hurting like a bitch!   
"You're hurt really badly." Raoul notes, studying the wound.   
"I'm fine." I protest, moving to get back up, but collapsing once more. I let out a pained noise. Suddenly, I feel a pair of strong arms lifting me up bridal style, carrying me.   
"You don't have to carry me. I can walk." I protest, although my leg feels like it's on fire.   
"No you can't." Raoul argues.   
"But-"  
"No protests. I'm carrying you." I shut up at that, sighing deeply. I immediately pass out, my mind going black.a


	5. love lies

_"Sorry if it's hard to catch my vibe, mmm_   
_I need a lover to trust, tell me you're on my side_   
_Are you down for the ride?_   
_It's not easy for someone to catch my eye_   
_But I've been waitin' for you for my whole damn life_   
_For my whole lifetime_

_Don't be afraid to tell me if you ain't with it (you ain't with it)_   
_I see you're focused, yeah you're so independent (independent)_   
_It's hard for me to open up, I'll admit it (I'll admit it)_   
_You've got some shit to say and I'm here to listen_

_So baby, tell me where your love lies_   
_Waste the day and spend the night_   
_Underneath the sunrise_   
_Show me where your love lies"_

I just had the most awful nightmare. Red lights, an alarm blaring at MI6, a house on fire, Raoul kissing me, M dead, James looking at me like he's losing everything... Gasping, I bolt upright, now awake.

"You okay?" A voice asks. Still trying to calm down, I turn my head to the left, my eyes meeting Raoul's. So it wasn't a nightmare after all.

"I'm fine." I breathe out eventually, going with a hand through my hair. He hums at it, turning to look back at the road. Apparently, I'm in a car, him behind the wheel, myself in the passenger seat.

"Nightmares?" He asks after a moment of silence.

"Yeah." I mutter, James' blue eyes still haunting me. He must be worried sick.

"You don't say much, do you?" Raoul eventually notes after a long, awkward silence.

"Not when I'm barely awake." I answer, exhausted. The sleep I'd gotten didn't help me at all. Instead of easing my mind, like it usually did, all I got was pain when I woke up.

"How long have I slept?" I ask him after a moment, confused when I see the sun setting.

"12 hours, maybe more." Raoul answers, with a casual shrug.

"What?!" I exclaim, giving him a surprised look.

"Yeah, your body was giving your mind the time to place everything. We're reaching a motel soon. We're staying the night there." He explains. I freeze up at the words 'we' and 'staying the night' in one sentence.

"We can both clean up, and you can eat something." He adds, making me force myself to nod.

"Okay."

"I also need to take care of that wound of yours. I improvised a bit, but it's gonna get worse if we don't take care of it soon." He says, making me look down at my leg. Around my upper leg was a piece of fabric, pulled tightly into a knot, temporarily stopping the bleeding.

After that, I remain silent as I panick internally. We were going to a motel, which meant staying the night, which meant sleeping, probably together too, for I had a feeling he wouldn't leave me alone. Me, together, with him?! I fight the urge to scream, digging my nails into my skin instead. All of the sudden I'm really, really nervous, and I have to take a few minutes to calm myself down.

'Just chill out, Rhine, he's your kidnapper, it's not like he's expecting anything from you.' Reason speaks up in my head.

'But what if he does? You did kiss him after all.' Panick answers, and it takes all my strength not to go back into full panic mode.

'Let's just wait and see what happens. You can always hit him in his you-know-whats when he tries anything funny.' Spy-me says. I decide to listen to that part of me and calm down a bit, looking outside. Soon, I realize that I have no idea where we could be. We're surrounded by trees and fields reaching as far as the eye meets, almost no other cars passing by.

"Where are we?" I ask Raoul.

"That's none of your concern." He answers smug.

"Fine." I huff, crossing my arms in front of my chest. I remain completely silent for the next 30 minutes, ignoring Raoul until he sighs out of boredom, turning on the radio. When those 30 minutes have passed, he pulls up onto a parking lot. He stops the car and gets out, so I follow him. In front of us is a yellowish looking, old dirty motel. Raoul grabs a black bag before we make our way over to the entrance.

When we're inside, Raoul puts a hand on my lower back, leading me to the check-in desk where a bored looking teenage boy is sitting. While he gets us a room, I glance around the foyer that's exactly like the outside of the hotel: yellowish, definitely could've been in a better shape. The boy hands Raoul a key, then grabs his phone to continue a game he was playing. Well, I guess that guy won't remember us at all if anyone should ask. Like this, there was no way James could possibly find me, nor did I know how to help him or how to escape myself. I had a feeling that Raoul was only being nice to me because I was behaving, and that he'd become quite dangerous if I tried to pull off something funny.

We walk up the stairs until we reach the third floor, walking into the hallway. Well, technically I was limping, my leg hurting like a bitch, but still. It wasn't too high, so he could escape easily if he had to, but high enough to prevent me from jumping out of the window. Sighing, I follow Raoul, trying to imprint the directions in my mind just in case I ever got the opportunity to run. Suddenly, he stops in front of a door, nearly making me bump into him. He throws me an amused look before unlocking the door and walking inside, making me follow. I look around the room. There's a bed for two against the wall opposite the door, a tiny television and a table with two chairs. Another door in the room leads to a tiny bathroom with only a shower, toilet, sink and mirror. Like everything else here, the room looks like it had been in a better state a long time ago.

"Cosy." I mutter, making Raoul chuckle. He drops the bag on the left side of the bed.

"My side." He says, pointing towards it. I simply nod, closing the door behind me. As I walk further into the room, I limp a bit, trying not to put too much weight on my bad leg.

"Come here." Raoul orders, my limping not going unnoticed by him.

"What?" I ask, eyes growing wide.

"Sit down on the bed." He adds. When I hesitate, he sighs in annoyance. The stern look he gives me when our eyes meet, is enough to make me walk over to him. I sit down on the edge of the bed hesitantly, very wary.

"Give me your leg." He suddenly orders.

"What?" I exclaim, eyes wide.

"You're wounded. Unless you want to die slowly because of an infection or due to bleeding out, which you are currently doing, I suggest you give me your leg." He says with a sigh, clearly annoyed at my stupidity.

"Fine." I give in with a huff, lifting my right leg slightly, grunting at the pain. Raoul takes it from me, suprisingly careful. I watch him as he starts to cut my pants open with a pair of scissors, having put a first aid box next to him. Where the hell did he get that? I suppose he'd been as smart as to take it with him on this escape. When I see the wound on my upper leg, I have to gulp. Man, that's looking really, really bad.

"That's a nasty wound. What happened? Were you the one who killed all my men?" He asks as he moves to clean it. The cut was about 5 inches long and very deep, nearly reaching the bone.

"No, I got hit by shrapnel. James fought all by himself." I explain.

"Good. Means he isn't as stupid as I thought." Raoul scoffs at it, sounding like he's agreeing with James' decision.

"You're the one who was shooting at me with a machine gun!" I exclaim, giving him an incredious look.

"Yes, but I didn't mean to shoot you." He argues.

"Then what were you doing? Firing a warning shot?" I scoff, making him roll his eyes.

"I figured you'd be smart enough to find cover, which you did, for you are still alive right now." He says calmly, making me roll my eyes.

"Still, it was an unfair fight." I say with a pout.

"Yeah, but it was fun." He answers, grinning at me for a moment.

"Sure." I say sarcastically, making him roll his eyes at me.

"I'm going to need to stitch you up. Have you ever done it without anesthesia?" He asks, inspecting the wound closer.

"I have, go ahead." I say, frowning at the nasty memory. Another trainee had accidentally thrown a knife at me and I hadn't seen it coming, the knife ending up in my leg. I had James stitch me up right there and then, not wanting my parents to worry. It had hurt like a bitch and I cried so much that James carried me all the way home in his arms and watched sappy romantic movies with me the entire day, even getting us ice cream. It had made my bad memory one of the nicest I had, making me smile. I was glad he had, otherwise I never would've allowed anyone to stitch me up ever again.

"Ready? One, two, three..."

"SON OF A BITCH!" I curse loudly, the pain hurting so badly I can feel tears spring into my eyes.

"OW, OW, OW!" I do my best not to squirm, but Raoul grabs my leg anyways, pressing it against the bed tightly to stop me from moving. When he's finally finished, I've cursed more than I probably ever did in my entire life. I have to admit that he did a very clean job though, the wound now closed, a black thin thread keeping the skin together.

"Fuck! Why does that have to hurt so badly?" I exclaim, making him laugh.

"Why don't you go take a shower? I'll wrap it up after." He suggests, not even hiding his grin. Glancing over at the bathroom, I nod in agreement, looking forward to getting all the dirt and blood off of me.

Getting up, I slowly limp over to the bathroom, closing the door behind me. On second thought, I lock the door. One could never be too sure, and I sure as hell didn't trust him, even if he just had taken care of my injury. I grab a towel and strip naked after I turn on the shower, waiting for a while until the water's hot. Then, I hop in the shower, sighing at the feeling of getting clean, my tense muscles finally relaxing. After a moment, I can convince myself to start washing the dirt and blood off. Twenty minutes later, I turn the water off and get out of the shower, wrapping the towel around me. Then, I realize I don't have any clean clothes with me. Fuck. I take a deep breath before unlocking and opening the bathroom door.

"Raoul?" I ask shyly, drawing his attention from where he's lying on the bed. He looks up at me, eyes getting darker when he sees I'm only wearing a towel, making me blush. This was so awkward.

"Can I borrow some clothes? Mine are dirty, you know, covered in blood and stuff." I say softly, throwing him a grimace. God, could this day get any worse?! For a moment, he doesn't react whatsoever, still staring at me, but he eventually nods, getting up. He grabs a black V-neck shirt and a pair of black boxers, making me turn bright red when he hands them over, our hands brushing each other briefly.

"Thanks." I mutter, quickly taking them from him with shaky hands, then run back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I turn to lean against the door, sighing deeply. It takes me a moment to get my shit together, but then I dry myself off and put on Raoul's shirt and boxers. Holy fuck! How were boxers this comfortable? This was so unfair! His shirt is incredibly soft as well, barely reaching my thighs. Well, one thing was for sure: this guy knew what comfortable meant. Walking back out of the bathroom, I find Raoul still lying on the bed. As he looks up at me, he gives me a strange look, making my stomach do a backflip. Why was he staring at me like that?

"You, uh, don't happen to have a hair comb with you, do you?" I ask him, awkwardly. He blinks a few times, then rummages through his bag until he pulls out one, extending his arm towards me. Walking over to the bed, I take it from him, then make my way over to my side of the bed. Sitting down on the edge of it, I begin to brush my hair, feeling Raoul's eyes digging holes in my back. When I'm done, I hand it back over to him. He gets up, puts it away and grabs some clothes out of his bag.

"Ah, your wound." He says all of the sudden.

"I almost forgot I still have to wrap it up." He explains when I give him a confused look.

"Ah, yeah." I mutter, swinging my legs onto the bed. I move until I'm sitting with my back against the headboard, a bit more to the middle of the bed. Raoul retrieves the first aid kit, then moves to sit next to me on his knees, facing me. I can feel my cheeks turning a deep shade of red when his hands grab my leg, the warm feeling of them sending shivers down my spine. Before I know it, there's a clean bandage wrapped around it. He gets off the bed, puts the kit away and retrieves the clean clothes he grabbed earlier.

"The door's locked. I have the keys with me, so don't try anything or I'll throw you under an ice cold shower." He threatens, eyes serious. Then, they turn a bit softer, and he gives me a smile.

"You look good in my shirt."

After that, he leaves the room and closes the bathroom door, leaving me behind, eyes wide, a stupid blush on my cheeks. I turn on the tv when I find the remote, although nothing interesting is on it. I decide to turn it off and lay down on the bed. It's surprisingly soft and comfortable, and before I know it, I've fallen into a peaceful sleep.

**-3rd POV-**

Gareth Mallory is busier than ever before. It's his first week as the head of MI6 and he already has a trainee missing. He had only seen Rhine Jones twice, yet she had intrigued him from the second her brown eyes met his. He has to admit that he feels strangely worried for her. He's got every agent on the case, searching for any information that can aid them in finding out where Silva is and what he's planning on doing with her. Q is busy hacking anything he can that could help them, camera's included. 007 seemed to have took it upon him as a peronal mission to find her, always being either at MI6 or on the road. He didn't think Bond had gotten any sleep since Rhine was taken by Silva. If they didn't find her within 2 days, Gareth would let a video be broadcasted on tv, explaining that Rhine was kidnapped, hoping to find her that way.

Someone knocks on the door to his office.

"Come in." Gareth speaks up, sleepy.

The door opens, Bond walking inside.

"M." Bond says, voice serious, eyes showing the same exhaustion Gareth is feeling right now. The two men both had barely gotten an hour of sleep, both refusing to rest until they found her.

"Have you found anything?" Gareth asks, unable to keep the hope from seeping through his voice.

"I have a vague direction, but no idea where they could possibly be going. The road they took leads to multiple highways, which means they could be anywhere by now." James explains. The agent sounds defeated, shoulders slightly sagged, a haunted look in his eyes. Gareth's hope is immediately crushed, but he gets a hold of himself.

"Check the cameras that lead to those roads as well. We have to find her." the new head of MI6 decides, eyes serious as they meet Bond's. He nods in agreement before making his way out of Gareth's office. Gareth sighs in despair, laying his head down on his desk for a moment.

He hadn't realized exactly how stressful being the head of a secret organisation could be.


	6. 505

" _I'm going back to 505_

_If it's a seven hour flight or a forty-five minute drive_   
_In my imagination you're waiting, lying on your side_   
_With your hands between your thighs_

_Stop and wait a sec_   
_Oh, when you look at me like that, my darling_   
_What did you expect?_   
_I probably still adore you with your hands around my neck_   
_Or I did last time I checked_

_Not shy of a spark_   
_A knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark_   
_Frightened by the bite though it's no harsher than the bark_   
_Middle of adventure, such a perfect place to start"_

-Rhine's **POV-**

When I wake up, I'm surrounded by a pleasant warmth. I can feel the sun shining on my face, making me smile tiredly. I could definitely get used to waking up like this. Slowly, I begin to wake up. God, this pillow is really comfortable! At least one positive thing in this hotel after all. Letting out a happy sigh, I wrap my arms around it a bit tighter. It's when the pillow moves, that I frown in confusion. Was I still dreaming? Pillows didn't move, right? I decide to open my eyes, and when I do, I freeze up in shock. Oh. My. God.

Holy freaking shitfuck. I'm currently using Raoul Silva, wanted cyber terrorist, criminal and my very own kidnapper, as a pillow. I'm snuggled up against him, head resting on his chest, one leg draped over his, my arm lying over his stomach. His left arm is wrapped around me, holding me close, the right one behind his head. Now that I'm awake, I can feel his chest go up and down as he breathes, and hear his steady heartbeat drumming in my ear. Carefully, I move a bit, trying to get away from him. In a reflex, he pulls me back. Oh fuck. It remains eerily quiet, until he lets out a deep chuckle. I jump up in surprise, rolling away from him quickly. When I look over at him, he's doubled over, laughing loudly.

"You bastard! You were awake all along!" I exclaim angrily. He only laughs harder at it, making me huff, curently lying on my back.

"Goodmorning." He says when he calms down, a smug look on his face. I huff in annoyance. Then, Raoul sits up, moving his legs over the edge of the bed. His bare back is in plain sight for me to see, since he's only wearing a pair of sweatpants. Scattered all over his back are scars. They seem very painful, but I can't help but stare. To my surprise, they only added to his beauty.

"Enjoying the view, love?" He asks suddenly, glancing over his shoulder at me with a smirk.

"I wasn't looking." I lie, quickly looking away from him. He merely chuckles, not buying it.

"I'm going to get breakfast. What would you like?" He asks.

"Doesn't matter to me. Coffee would be great." I shrug at it.

"Okay. I'll be back soon." He says, getting up. He grabs a shirt from his bag and puts it on, making his way to the door. He opens and closes it behind him, and I groan inwardly when I hear him lock the door as well. It was stupid for me to hope he would forget, that would've been too easy.

I remain on the bed, lying there in silence for a while, contemplating what to do. Moving until I'm sitting, I look around the room. The door was locked, and the windows were too small for me to be able to crawl out of them. It seemed that I wouldn't be able to escape. Sighing, I decide to use the time Raoul's gone to get up and out of bed myself. I open the curtains and windows, enjoying the slight breeze for a moment. In Raoul's backpack, I find the brush from yesterday, a toothbrush and some toothpaste. The bag was filled withclothes, a first aid kit and other stuff I wouldn't be able to hurt anyone with. Bummer. Sighing again, I make my way over to the bathroom. After I brush my hair and teeth, I get back in bed, turning on the tv. Nothing interesting is on, as always, so I'm mindlessly watching a random show.

After a while, I hear the door being unlocked. The door swings open and Raoul walks inside, carrying a plastic bag. He closes and locks the door behind him.

"I brought you coffee and a croissant, I hope you like that." He says, getting all the stuff out of the bag. He's brought two cups of coffee and two croissants.

"I also got you a pair of trousers. I checked your old ones for the size, so they should fit." He adds, very casual. Then, he throws me a pair of light coloured jeans. I catch them, thanking God for them being skinny jeans, and get off the bed, quickly putting them on. They're a perfect fit, and the fabric is rather comfortable.

"They're perfect. Thank you." I answer, happy that I was finally fully dressed. I make my way over to the table and sit down in a chair. He sits down as well, handing me my food and drink.

"Thanks." I say with a polite smile. I grab a few bags of sugar he took with him, along with milk, and pour it all in my cup.

"You know, next time I'll just get you a latte macchiato, alright?" Raoul suggests, chuckling at the huge amount of sugar and milk I just threw in. I throw him a grin and nod in agreement before taking a sip. We eat in silence. When we're finished, I throw the empty cups in the bag, throwing it all in the trash.

'BREAKING NEWS.' The words draw my attention, making me look up at the tv. It's the news, currently showing a picture of... wait, is that me?

"Rhine Jones, a 21 years old woman from London, has been reported missing. She has long brown hair, brown eyes, is about 5.4 feet tall. She was last seen with Raoul Silva, a dangerous criminal who kidnapped her." A picture of him appears next to mine as the newsreader is talking, while I'm staring at the screen in shock.

"If you have any information, please call the following number-"

Raoul gets up and quickly turns the tv off. When he spins around, his eyes are wild. He rushes over to the bathroom, I hear water running for about 5 minutes, then he walks back out of the bathroom, moving to grab all our things.

"We're leaving." He orders, sounding very stressed. I follow him outside, down the stairs, through the lobby where he puts his hand on my lower back, pushing me out of the hotel, into the car. The next second, we're speeding off. Tension hangs in the air, Raoul gripping the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white.

They were looking for me. James was looking for me. They even had it broadcasted on tv. This makes me relax slightly, closing my eyes as I lean against the window. Being on tv meant that Raoul would have to be very careful if he didn't want to get caught, which was exactly what I wanted. Personally, I was drawn to him and I liked to think we got along rather well, but he still murdered M. The fact that he kidnapped me didn't make it any better.

"They won't find us." Raoul mutters all of the sudden, making me look up at him in surprise.

"Have you even thought this through?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I have! Does it look like I'm stupid? I planned this entire thing all the way from you locking me up until right now." He answers, sounding frustrated.

"Well, let's hope for you that your little plan works, because James will kill you if he finds us." I answer, looking away from him.

"Let him try. You seem to forget I used to be a spy too. I'm not some amateur." Raoul scoffs, glancing over at me.

"Fine, fine. We'll see." I mutter. He was so nervous, it would probably make him slip up and then they'd find us.

I try to pay attention to where we're going, but I'm very unfamiliar with the surroundings. Raoul gets off the highway as fast as possible, dialing a number on his phone.

"It's Raoul." He says when someone picks up on the other side. I try to listen carefully, but don't hear who's on the other side, nor what he's saying.

"I need a favor. You still own that cabin in the woods?"

"Yes, that'd be great. Thanks."

"Yeah, I owe you big time. Bye." When he ends the call, Raoul seems to relax, his knuckles turning back to a normal color, his shoulders lowering.

"Cabin in the woods, huh? As long as there doesn't appear a psycho murderer to kill us, I'm good." I say casually. Raoul laughs at that, shaking his head as we're now driving on more deserted roads.

"I believe that job's already taken by me, so don't worry." He answers, this time making me laugh. After that, it turns silent again. We reach a forest, driving onto a really small dirt road. After a long while, we reach a clearing. In the middle of it stands a tiny wooden cabin. Raoul parks the car next to the cabin, turning the engine off. I follow him out of the car, into the tiny house. The door's open, but Raoul finds a key next to the door on a tiny side table.

The cabin is very small. There's a sofa in front of a fireplace, a round wooden table with two chairs and a tiny kitchen. A pair of stairs lead to a bedroom with a queen sized bed, a tiny bathroom with a wooden tub and a seperate toilet.

"I'll start making dinner." Raoul says, rummaging through the wooden cabinets in the kitchen. Apparently whoever this cabin belonged to, had made sure there was enough food. As Raoul begins to make dinner, I lie down on the couch on my back, hands folded behind my head. The cabin was cosy and small, and I would've liked it if I was here on vacation, but right now, it was nothing more than a prison in a cosy disguise.

After a while, dinner's ready. Raoul has made a delicious pasta with mouth-watering sauce. I'm enjoying it so much that I don't have the time to say a word to him, but I don't think he minds. He seemed to like the silence every once in a while.

"You can go shower if you'd like. I'm going to do the dishes first. It's been a long day." Raoul suggests when we've both finished, getting everything off the table.

"Alright. Can I borrow another shirt of yours?" I ask as I get up, making my way upstairs.

"Sure!" I hear him call after me, making me smile softly. I don't forget to retrieve his shirt from his bag and to take it with me into the bathroom, recalling how awkward yesterday was. When I close the bathroom door, I frown when I see there's no lock on it. I quickly strip, deposit my clothes and Raoul's shirt on the bathroom sink, then get inside the wooden tub, turning on the shower. The water's freezing cold at the beginning, but I don't mind, for it makes me able to think more clearly, and it seems like I might need just that.

What the hell was I doing? I had been kidnapped for two days already, and all I had been doing so far was cuddling and being friendly with the enemy! I was so freaking messed up. All I can see when I close my eyes, is the look in James' blue eyes when he had to let Raoul take me. It makes me feel so guilty I can feel my stomach turn, making me lean my forehead against the wall, the water pouring down on my head and back. He would be so disappointed if he could see me right now. I was a freaking agent, I mean trainee, at freaking MI6, and so far I had done absolutely nothing that could help me escape! I was a fucking failure. All because of some Spanish, incredibly hot guy with blonde locks and dark eyes. Sighing, I push myself away from the wall. I'd have to start acting like a real spy: put up high walls in your mind and don't show how you feel. And most important of all, I couldn't let him get in my head like that anymore. It was getting dangerous and I couldn't be this vulnerable around him. If I'd learned anything from the past, it was that people always took advantage of that.

After the storm of thoughts in my head calms down a bit, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and begin to wash my hair and body. Fifteen minutes later, I walk out of the bathroom, dressed in Raoul's shirt, my clothes in my arms. I don't see him in the bedroom yet, so I fold my clothes and put them on the night stand besides my side of the bed. Then, I crawl underneath the sheets and turn to lie on my side, away from Raoul's side of the bed.

I wouldn't be the one cuddling with him tonight.

-James' POV-

2 days. It had been two days since James last saw his Rhine, two days since he failed to save M, two days since he failed to save Rhine, the only girl he had ever cared about for a long time. He would do anything for her, would give his life without hesitation if it meant he could save her, and hell, he would've given his life in a heartbeat if it meant getting her out of the claws of Silva. He didn't like the man, he never trusted him, didn't trust the way the criminal looked at his Rhine, like all the guys they met looked at her. He didn't like that the guy obviously knew how much James cared, no matter how hard he tried not to draw attention to her and their bond, he always seemed to fail. He just couldn't act like he didn't care, was unable to put up his walls around those brown, innocent eyes. He had changed many agents' minds about asking her out when she grew up, not that she knew. She'd probably kill him if she found out, but James couldn't help himself. He always got overprotective over her, making sure she had everything she wanted, that she was happy. He had often skipped missions so her parents could go instead, preferring staying with his Rhine.

He didn't think Rhine knew just how much he cared, and he was kind of glad she didn't. James simply cared too much, calling her his, thinking about her wellbeing all the time, hanging out with her, training her... She took up all his free time whenever he wasn't on a mission, and when he was on a mission she was on his mind 24/7. Her being taken from him only made him realize just how much he needed her and how hard he was missing her right now. He missed her stupid jokes, her dancing crazy in public, her spontaneous hugs, her childish behaviour... She was his sun that lit up his dark life, and he missed her so badly it hurt physically. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, only refrained from drinking alcohol because he knew she'd disapprove... James was messed up, all because of one young woman.

He'd find Silva, however. He knew broadcasting the kidnapping on tv would help them find him. And sure enough, there had been numerous tips flowing in. The only problem was that people often saw things that weren't there, or liked to pull a prank, which made it hard to know which tips were actually useful. James, however, knew from experience that these broadcasts made the criminals nervous, and being nervous led people to being uncareful. Eventually, Silva would slip up, and James would be there, ready to kill him.


	7. idfc

_"Tell me pretty lies_  
_Look me in the face_  
_Tell me that you love me_  
_Even if it's fake_  
_'Cause I don't fucking care, at all_

_You've been out all night_  
_I don't know where you've been_  
_You're slurring all your words_  
_Not making any sense_  
_But I don't fucking care, at all_

_'Cause I have hella feelings for you_  
_I act like I don't fucking care_  
_Like they ain't even there_  
_'Cause I have hella feelings for you_  
_I act like I don't fucking care_  
_'Cause I'm so fucking scared"_

_idfc - blackbear_

_I look around me. Why was I back on the island? Shrugging, I begin to walk, looking around me. I still enjoyed the view._

_"Rhine!" I hear a voice yell, making me spin around._

_"JAMES!" I yell, grinning widely. It's when I see him tied up against a rock that I freeze up, looking around in uncertainty._

_"Rhine." When I look to my right, I see Raoul, who's pointing a gun at James, who's on my left._

_"Raoul, no!" I shout, taking off in a sprint. When I almost reach James, I run into an invisible wall, making me bang my hands against it angrily._

_"JAMES!" I scream, tears streaming over my face._

_"You'll never be able to save him." Raoul says, aiming the gun._

_"Rhine." James draws my attention, the sight of him blurry because of my tears._

_"I love you." He says, blue eyes meeting mine._

_'BANG!'_

_"JAMES!" I scream hysterically, watching his body go slack._

I wake up with a gasp, bolting up into a sitting position.

"Whoah, easy there." I hear someone say. Only when I look around at the wooden walls, I realize it was just a nightmare. Sighing, I go with my hands through my hair, forcing myself to take deep breaths, my heart beating like crazy.

"Are you okay?" Only now, I realize Raoul had been talking to me, his large hand on my back to comfort me.

"I'm fine." I mutter, not quite able to push the image of him killing James out of my head. Exhausted, I fall back onto my back, not caring that I'm currently squishing his hand.

"Another nightmare?" Raoul asks me, lying back down as well.

"Yeah." I scoff, closing my eyes. This was all his fault. It had been years since my last series of frequent nightmares.

"You seem to have those a lot." He mutters softly.

"You are the reason I have those nightmares." I mutter angrily, unable to help myself. He remains silent at that, while I let out a deep sigh after that. I wasn't one to get mad easily, but Raoul managed to get on my nerves so quickly that it wasn't normal anymore.

"I'm sorry you have nightmares because of what I did to you." He mutters, a twinge of hurt sounding through his voice.

"Raoul, I-"

"It's okay, I understand. I'm going to take a shower." He interrupts my pitiful attempt to excuse myself, getting up and walking into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. It doesn't take long before I hear the water pouring out of the shower head.

Wait a sec. Did he just leave me all alone? I get up as quietly as I can, tip toeing out of the room after I scan it. No keys a bit of luck, the door would be open, and I'd be able to escape! It was risky and the chance that it was in fact open was really, really small, like ridiculously tiny small, but maybe, just maybe, I'd be lucky for once.

 _'Careful.'_ I hear James' voice say in my head, making me stop just outside the bedroom door to hear if the water's still running. I take a deep breath, then descend the stairs as quietly as I can, flinching every time I hear the wooden steps squeak. Why did they have to be so old?! When I finally reach the bottom, I can feel my heart beating like mad. I'd be dead if Raoul caught me. Unable to keep calm, I run over to the front door, and turn the door knob. Fuck! It was locked. Sighing, I turn to lean against the door, then freeze up. The keys were hanging on a hook, right next to the door. Holy shit! I was so freaking lucky, I might have to go to a casino later on. Quickly, I unlock the door, and bolt outside. The shitty thing is that the keys didn't have the car keys too. Guess he wasn't that stupid. I run off and keep on running until I feel like I can't breathe anymore, and have to stop for a moment. Holy freaking shit. I was escaping! Soon, I'd be with James once more, and we'd-

"Oh, Rhine!" I freeze up at the familiar voice calling out my name, way too close to me.

"You know I'll find you. Come back now and I promise I won't punish you." The dark edge to his voice makes me nearly tremble with fear, my heart beating like mad. Oh fuck, how was he so close already! I thought I'd at least have a head start of a few minutes. I take a deep breath, then take off into a sprint, my legs running faster than ever. I knew he would hurt me, wether I'd give up now or later. But right now, I had at least a tiny chance of making it out of here alive.

"Fuck!" I hiss when I feel a searing hot pain shooting up from my ankle to my leg injury. The next second, I'm sent tumbling to the ground. I can feel hot tears spring into my eyes at the pain, biting my lip so I don't scream out loud.

"I will find you. That was a stupid mistake you made, Rhine. I gave you a chance!" Raoul shouts, sounding rather mad. My heart stops at the sound of his voice. He was too close, way too close. With a lot of difficulty, I get up, supporting myself by leaning against a tree, doing my best to remain silent. I take a step forwards, but collapse immediately, unable to hold back the scream that escapes my lips. FUCK! That hurts like hell!

"Rhine!" I hear someone exclaim, but don't really realize what's going on. Black spots are dancing in front of my eyes, making the face that moves into view a bit blurry, but I'd recognize those dark eyes anywhere.

"Raoul." I cough, feeling his arms move underneath me.

"I'm here, don't move." He mutters, as I can feel him lift me up bridal style once again.

"Please don't kill me." I whisper, feeling fear take over my heart.

"I would never." He mutters, pulling me closer to him. Confused, I try to figure out what he means by that. Why would he say that? I literally tried to run away seconds before, and he sounded really mad. Before I can think things through, a black void takes over my mind, and I pass out.

Waking up, my head feels like someone's banging Thor's hammer against it. Wait, no nightmares this time? I guess I got hurt badly enough for my head to leave me the fuck alone for once. Groaning, I open my eyes, my head hurting so badly I feel like crying.

"Don't move." I hear a voice say, hands gently keeping me down by pushing down on my shoulders. I hum in agreement, unable to nod, but he seems to understand, for the hands disappear.

"What...happened?" I ask when the fog in my head clears up a bit, opening my eyes to look at Raoul. He's sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at me.

"You fell and hurt your ankle. I'm not sure how bad it is, it might even be broken. You also reopened the wound on your leg. You hit your head as well, I have no idea how bad it is." He explains, giving me a surprisingly worried look. I have to swallow harshly at it, closing my eyes for a moment.

"It really hurts." I mutter hoarsely, sounding more vulnerable than I would've liked.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have scared you like that back in the woods." Raoul says softly.

"It's fine. I shouldn't have tripped. You wouldn't have to be bothered by me anymore." I whisper.

"I'll call a doctor to come check on your ankle." Raoul mutters, getting up and out of the bedroom. I'm glad for it.

Right now, I couldn't really deal with him. The realization hits me like a punch to the stomach. I had been so close, so close to being reunited with James. I missed him like hell. The pain and the realization that it was all for nothing hurt so badly I can't even stop the tears that start running down my cheeks. I was one messed up spy, you know, if I wasn't even able to escape the clutches of one man.

When the doctor arrives, I've only just stopped crying. I didn't feel better at all, but maybe it was good that I had had a breakdown now instead of when Raoul was around to see it.

"Hello. You must be Mrs. Silva." The doctor greets when he enters the room, Raoul opening the door for him.

"Yes." I manage to bring out, giving Raoul a shocked look. He merely shrugs, motioning with his eyes for me to play along.

"Can you tell me what happened?" The man asks, moving to sit on a chair near my side of the bed, pulling out all kinds of things out of his bag. He looks to be around 50 years old, his hair white, wrinkles around his eyes giving me the idea that he's a kind man.

"It's rather stupid, really... We were playing tag in the woods, for old time's sake, and I tripped. My ankle hurts really badly." I explain, even managing to stutter while pulling off a rather believable blush. The doctor gives me a look at that, making me chuckle awkwardly.

"Let's see how bad it is." He scoots closer, pulling the blanket away. Only now, I realize how I look. There's dirt everywhere, green stains scattered across Raoul's shirt. I'm bare footed, and angry red cuts decorate my legs. My ankle is red and very swollen, and... Oh shit, my wound. It's bleeding rather heavily, the stitches loose.

"That doesn't look like something you get playing tag." The doctor mutters softly, glancing up at Raoul for a moment, then back to me with a wary look. I stare at the guy, trying to come up with something, anything, to make sure Raoul won't kill him because he's being suspicious.

"We had a car accident," Raoul speaks up. He probably sounds casual to the doctor, but I can hear the tiniest bit of tension in his voice.

"Sorry Sir, but that doesn't look like something you get from a car accident. You should've taken her to a hospital the moment she got that." Doc says, frowning seriously. Fuck, he was gonna get himself killed like that.

"I'm fine," I mutter softly, drawing both of the men's attention. "Could you just take a look at my ankle, please?" I pull off my puppy eyes, looking up at the doctor through my eyelashes.

"Fine." He sighs, gently taking my calve. I wince in pain when he moves my ankle, squeezing my eyes shut.

"It almost got broken. I'll wrap it up as tightly as I can, but you can't walk on it for at least one week." The doctor decides, pulling away from me.

"I'll stitch that back up too." He adds, moving closer to work on the huge wound.

"Thanks." I mutter as he gets to work, sedating the area around the wound, thank God, before getting to work. I don't feel any pain, but the feeling of the needle and thread is strange. The entire time, Raoul stares at the doctor treating the wound, a strange look in his eyes. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was guilt. Soon enough, he's finished, packs his bag and is quickly led outside by Raoul, who seems all too happy to get rid of him.

When he returns, he sighs deeply, closing the bedroom door behind him. For a moment, he just stands there, staring at me as I'm lying helplessly in the bed.

"He totally didn't buy that." I mutter quietly.

"Very helpful." Raoul answers, very stressed out.

"Sorry." I mutter. Maybe now was the time for me to shut up.

"I can't let you walk, but he'll definitely report this to the police," Raoul talks rapidly, switching to Spanish as he paces across the room. It seems like he's weighing options, but doesn't want me to understand. I can only stare at him, mesmerized by the foreign language I can't understand. After a while, he stops pacing abruptly, turning to look at me.

"That's it!" He exclaims, a burden seemingly falling off his shoulders as he rushes off to god knows where, going to do god knows what. When he returns, I finally realize he's packing everything.

"Um, did you forget what the doctor said? I can't walk." I call out carefully, feeling a worried frown appear on my face.

"I have a solution." Raoul answers, grabbing the backpack. When I don't answer, he turns his head, dark eyes meeting mine.

"Do you trust me?" He asks, seeing the doubt in my eyes.

"Not really." I mutter, looking away.

"You don't?"

"Of course not. You kidnapped me, you're playing games with my mind. I can't trust anyone, especially not you." I bring out, still refusing to look at him. I hated how he messed with my head. I hear Raoul walk over to the bed, sitting down on the edge closest to me.

"Look at me." He says softly. When I don't react, he grabs my chin, turning my head to the right and upwards so I'm looking into his eyes, being surprisingly gentle.

"I'm not trying to play a game." He says sternly.

"Then why did you kidnap me?" I ask, confused.

"I needed to get out of there, James would have killed me if I didn't. But now, right here, right now, there's no use for me to play games with you. We're the same, Rhine, you'll see. You'll understand why I'm doing this." He answers, sounding very convinced of himself.

"We're far from the same." I argue.

"You know that's a lie. You said it yourself, at Skyfall. You wouldn't have kissed me if you didn't believe what you were saying." I freeze up at it.

"You're just messing with me." I argue, although even I can hear I sound weaker and more unsure. Dammit.

"Deep down, you know the thruth, Rhine. You just have to admit it to yourself." With that, he stands up, hand leaving my face.

"Now, you'll have to trust me."

"Trust you with what?" I ask, suspiciously.

"Trust me that I won't let you fall on the stairs."

The next second, he slides his arms underneath me, lifting me up.

"Raoul, no! You're crazy!" I exclaim, so surprised that I automatically wrap my arms around his neck.

"Relax, you're as light as a feather." He answers with a chuckle, making me huff.

"You're lying."

"You better stop squirming, or I might actually toss you down the stairs."


	8. burning

**A/N: Surprise! I found a tiny bit more time this weekend, so I managed to complete another chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it! ;)**

_"I've been burning, yes, I've been burning_   
_Such a burden, this flame on my chest_   
_No insurance to pay for the damage_   
_Yeah, I've been burning up since you left_

_I've been smoking, oh_   
_More than twenty a day_   
_Blame it on rebellion_   
_Don't blame it on me_   
_Wish I was younger_   
_Back to the nineteenth of May_   
_I had an open mind_   
_Swore to never change_

_Funny how time goes by_   
_Had respect for myself_   
_That river ran dry_   
_You reached the limit_   
_I wasn't enough_   
_It's like the fire replaced all the love_

_I've been burning, yes, I've been burning_   
_Such a burden, this flame on my chest_   
_No insurance to pay for the damage_   
_Yeah, I've been burning up since you left_

_Oh, have you ever called_   
_I will burst straight back_   
_Give you my forgiveness_   
_And the shirt off my back_   
_No friends to turn to_   
_Yeah, I messed up that_   
_Wish we could smoke again_   
_Just for a day, oh_

_Funny how time goes by_   
_Had respect for myself_   
_That river ran dry_   
_You reached the limit_   
_I wasn't enough_   
_And it's like the fire replaced all the love_

_I've been burning, yes, I've been burning_   
_Such a burden, this flame on my chest_   
_No insurance to pay for the damage_   
_Yeah, I've been burning up since you left_

_Yeah, I've been burning up since you left_   
_Oh, I've been burning up since you left"_

Being in one car with Raoul turns out to be less awkward than I thought it would be. He lets me turn on the radio and doesn't complain when I sing along, only smiling occasionally. Sometimes, we'd talk about anything possible, except about what had happened before. I realized the doctor would probably alert the police and that they'd alert MI6 about the cabin, but by the time James would get there, I'd be far away from him once more.

When the clock on the radio says it's noon, Raoul pulls over at a gas station.

"Wait here." He says, eyes turning serious when he looks over at me.

"I have to go to the bathroom." I answer, equally serious. He remains silent for a moment, staring at me.

"Fine." He gets out of the car, and somehow manages to reach my side in time to open the door for me, wraps his arms around my waist, and lifts me up and out of the car with ease. He takes a moment to put me down on the ground carefully, and I make sure I don't lean on my injured leg, leaning back against the car for support. Before I can move, he places his hands on either side of me against the car, trapping me there, but I realize it must look very sweet to other people around us, like we were just a couple that was having a romantic moment.

"If you even think about running away for a second, you'll regret it if you try. I've been very kind so far, but that can change." He says sternly. I merely raise my eyebrow at him.

"I'm hurt. Why would you think I'd run away from you?" I answer, scoffing. He rolls his eyes at me.

"You'd be stupid enough. Now behave." Raoul mutters before wrapping his arms around me. For a moment, I freeze up, thinking he was going to hug me. Then, he lifts me up easily, holding me bridal style.

"Are you serious? This romance thingy is a really old move, especially for a former spy. And it's embarrassing me." I mutter, feeling my cheeks turn bright red in embarrasment.

"Does it look like I care to you?" He whispers, giving me a sickening sweet smile, which I return with a grimace.

"Everyone's watching, Raoul." I complain, hiding my face in his chest.

"You'll be fine." He mutters, unfazed.

"You're so thoughtful." I say sarcastically as we pass a woman, who throws us an 'awe'-look. I hear Raoul chuckle.

Leading me through the small store, we find the bathroom, which is nothing more than a room with 3 toilets, no separation between men and women. Raoul helps me into one, and I can see his feet standing right in front of my door. I sigh deeply. So far for escaping, even though I'd probably break my ankle before I got far. Awkward peeing it is then. In the store, Raoul buys us sandwiches and drinks for lunch, carrying me the entire time while we're inside and handing me the food. He even makes a comment to the cashier about me 'tripping like a silly child', making me scream internally. I really hated this clingy act, especially since he did have some strange effect on me I wasn't ready to admit. I eat my meal in silence as he somehow manages to eat and drive without spilling anything. It was just unfair how elegant he was.

"Maybe I should give you food more often. It keeps you quiet." He notes. When I throw him an incredious look, the bastard smirks at me, making me roll my eyes.

"Why do you have to be so annoying?" I ask him.

"I was asking myself exactly the same thing."

"Very funny."

We continue to drive the entire afternoon, until it gets dark. Then, Raoul stops at a tiny hotel and gets us a room. He goes to get dinner as I change into a different shirt of his, folding my clothes up and putting them in the bathroom, brush my teeth and brush my hair. We eat very delicious Chinese food, a peaceful silence filling the space between us the entire time. It turns out we both weren't much of a talker when we were eating. When he goes to the bathroom to change, I lie down on the bed and fall asleep in seconds.

-3rd POV-

"007!" Q calls out, sounding out of breath. James turns around, seeing the young Quartermaster run over to him, a look of hope in the young man's eyes.

"What is it, Q?" James asks as he stops in front of him.

"A doctor called the police earlier, from the Yorkshire Dales. He reported a couple with Silva as their last name. The young woman he examinated had an almost broken ankle and a wound caused by shrapnel or something else, according to him.

It also seemed like the man, who was much older, seemed very on edge." He explains, sounding excited.

"Do you think it's Rhine?" James asks urgently, a tiny flicker of hope filling his dark mind. He'd grown more desperate as the hours passed, still no sign of Silva and her whatsoever.

"The description fits both of them, so yeah, I do think there's a high chance of it being them." Q admits.

"That bastard hurt her! I have to go there, now." James mutters, rage turning into determination.

"But wait, shouldn't you ask M for permission...?" Q calls out after him, but 007's already gone, rushing out of the

building.

In the middle of the night, I wake up in a startle, body bolting upright automatically. I stare around, frantically reaching for my gun on the nightstand, but don't find it, increasing my panic. I'd forgotten. I wasn't at home, wasn't at MI6, wasn't with James... I was with Raoul. Taking a few deep breaths, I calm myself down, still wondering what woke me up. Suddenly, I hear a groan, and when I turn my head, I find the reason I woke up in a panic. Raoul's lying besides me, limbs tangled in the sheets. His body's twitching heavily, drops of sweat rolling down his forehead and bare chest, his face scrunched up into a painfull expression. For a moment, all I can do is stare at him, not sure what to do now that he's the one having a nightmare instead of me.

"AH!" He lets out a heartbreaking scream, filled with pain, making me jump in fright. Worried, I crawl over to him, and gently grab a hold of his shoulders. He jolts awake at that, a wild look in his now wide open eyes. He's still in his dream, for the next thing I know, I'm pinned underneath him, his hand wrapped around my neck, eyes unfocused and not recognizing me at all.

"Raoul..." I manage to bring out, trying to push against him, but with no use. His grip only tightens, filling my stomach with fear. What if he didn't snap out of it? I wasn't getting any air in my lungs.

"Raoul!" I wince in pain when I feel all air leaving my lungs, panic taking over.

It seems to snap him out of it, his eyes slowly focusing upon me for the first time tonight. .

"It was just a bad dream." I whisper quietly, becoming much more aware of the way his body's pinning me down into the matress, one hand holding my neck tightly, the other gripping my hip, my hands splayed helplessly against his chest where I'd previously tried to push him off without any result.

"Raoul." I whisper once more, and he finally seems to realize the position we're in, his hold on me loosening slightly. His eyes are darker than I've ever seen them before, revealing raw, pure pain instead of the guarded look he usually wore.

"Rhine?" He asks, voice hoarse from screaming.

"It's me, it's okay. It was just a nightmare." I whisper back, gently rubbing his chest, not knowing what else to do. Slowly, he lets go of me, cautious, as if he doesn't trust his own body at the moment. Getting off of me, allowing me to fully breathe again, he sits down next to me, staring off at a random spot on the wall opposite the bed. After taking a few deep breaths, I move to sit next to him. Subconciously, my hands come up to touch my now sore throat. I had a feeling there would be bruises tomorrow.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, Rhine." He manages to bring out, turning his head to stare at my hands.

"It's okay. I'm okay." I lie, swallowing to try and chase the pain away.

"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have... I slipped..." He actually stutters, the storm raging in his eyes enough to make me forget all about my pain.

"Hey, it's fine, don't worry." I whisper, moving to sit besides him on my knees.

"You should sleep." I add, placing my hands on his bare shoulders, gently pushing him so he moves to lie down on his back.

"I can't. Not now. Not after... that." He mutters, and I see the same despair in his eyes that was there when he killed M.

"I'm here with you, I'm not going anywhere. You'll be fine." I argue, lying down as well, curling up against his side. When I lay my head on his chest, he pulls me close, holding me so tight I find it hard to breathe. It doesn't seem to be enough, since he pulls me back up with him, restlessness radiating off of his body. Raoul pulls me into his lap so that I'm straddling him, and buries his face in my neck, shocking me. Suddenly, his body starts to shake heavily, and when he sobs once, I can feel my heart break to the sound of it.

"Raoul, it's fine. Everything will be okay." I whisper, pulling him tightly against me.

"Tiago." He whispers, as I feel his tears roll down my neck.

"My name's Tiago."

All I can do is hold him, silent tears falling down onto my body, his arms holding me like I'm the only thing keeping him together. And maybe that was exactly what we both were: barely keeping ourselves together.


	9. send me on my way

_Send me on my way - Rusted Root_

_"(On my way, on my way)_

_(On my way, on my way)_

_I would like to reach out my hand_

_I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)_

_You know what they say about the young_

_Well, pick me up with golden hand_

_Oombayseeyou, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)_

_You know what they say about the young_

_Well, I would like to hold my little hand_

_And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will_

_I would like to hold my little hand_

_And we will run, we will, we will crawl_

_Send me on my way (On my way)_

_Send me on my way (On my way)_

_Send me on my way (On my way)_

_Send me on my way (On my way)_

_Send me on my way (On my way)_

_Send me on my way (On my way)_

_Send me on my way (On my way)_

_Mm hmm (On my way)"_

When I wake up, it's already noon, the cheap curtains no longer able to hold the sunlight outside, the light waking me up. Tiredly, I open my eyes, and find myself lying right on top of Raoul, who's lying on his back. Apparently, he just fell backwards and both of us had fallen asleep like that. I'm a bit worried about my legs that no longer feel like they're mine, after having been bent painfully the entire night, but apart from that I'm fine. I can still feel the trails of now dry tears on my body. I sigh, trying to let all the sadness from last night behind and to live in the present. Often, it felt like it was the only way I could deal with life and all the awful shit that happened to me and those around me, just forcing myself to forget about the bad stuff.

To distract myself, I begin to trace invisible patterns on Raoul's bare chest, exploring his soft skin and the strong muscles underneath, moving my hair around where it's splayed against his skin. I notice that it helps and can't help but smile softly. Suddenly, Raoul shifts, slowly waking up. I wait, curious to find out what he'll do, feeling his body wake up. Subconsciously, he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. The feeling of his body pressed tightly against mine makes me close my eyes and smile. I lie back down, resting my head against his chest, lips accidentally touching his skin. When I lift my head up once more, I look straight into his dark brown eyes, a still sleepy look in them.

"Good morning." I whisper quietly. He lets out a tired groan as he raises his arms to stretch them, causing his stomach muscles to push me upwards. I giggle at it, but remain where I am, his muscles relaxing once more. " 'Morning." He grunts, closing his eyes for a moment. My legs are really starting to hurt, so I roll off of him until I'm lying on my back.

"Fuck!" I hiss, cramps shooting up my legs. I grab my legs, rubbing them in an effort to soothe the pain.

"Cramps." I grit out through my teeth when Raoul gives me a worried look. He sits up at it, and I freeze up in shock when his hands grab one of my legs, gently massaging it. Slowly, I lie down and allow myself to relax and close my eyes, the pain slowly disappearing. Soon enough, I find myself relishing the feeling of those strong, big hands touching my bare legs. Only barely, I manage to choke back a moan. Being massaged was one of my biggest weaknesses, dammit. Like that, I slowly wake up, Raoul's hands rubbing all my pain away, emotionally and physically.

When he stops, I open my eyes and find him looking down at me with a soft smile.

"I'll get us breakfast. You can shower if you want." He offers, surprisingly quiet. All I can do is nod. Raoul gets up at that, grabbing some fresh clothes out of his bag. Like before, I can't help but stare at his scarred back and like before, I find him smoking hot. This was so unfair! How could he be this sexy? Unfortunately, like before, Raoul catches me staring and smirks before leaving the apartment.

Unfortunately, he doesn't forget to lock the door behind him.

-3rd POV-

Raoul has only just left the room, when his phone rings. When he sees who's calling, he doesn't hesitate to answer the call.

"Silva." He speaks, as if the man on the other side of the line didn't know exactly whom he was calling.

"Are you still in the cabin?" the man asks, going straight to business.

"No. A doctor had to come check on the girl, he got suspicious. I bet the cops are on their way there right now." Raoul answers, knowing the other guy wouldn't like the news.

"The girl is hurt?" The voice sounds casual, as if they were only talking about the weather, but Raoul knew better. He was not pleased at all.

"She tried to escape and tripped." Raoul admits hesitantly.

"Typically one of James' women. They do seem to enjoy running from me." Raoul can't help but grimace at the giddy words. He knew exactly what had happened to the other women whom James had cared about.

"If the girl remains a problem, we'll have to get rid of her sooner than I thought." The man adds, Raoul freezing up at it.

"Get rid of her? I thought you needed her alive."

"What use is she to me alive, Silva? No, no, no. I need her dead. James has to lose everyone around him, it's only fair, after everything he did to my family."

"But… the girl is innocent."

"Don't you fuck it up, Silva. The previous guy I gave her this job only managed to mentally damage her. From you, I expect a little more. You'll kill her when I tell you to, understood?"

"Yes, Blofeld." Silva grits out, then ends the call.

This wasn't what he made a deal for. He only agreed on killing M and kidnapping Rhine, not kill her too. This was going to be much more difficult than he had expected it to be.

I give myself another ten minutes to wake up slowly, enjoying the warmth of the sun hitting my body. Then, I get up and make my way over to the bathroom. Quickly, I strip out of my clothes and hop inside the shower, turning it as warm as it can get. To my surprise, all the places Raoul and I had stayed at had warm water. During the few times I'd been on a mission with James, this hadn't always been the case. I shudder at the memories of some rather dirty hotels. At least James had been there with me to distract me.

James. My thoughts take a darker turn as his face pops up into my head. He would be so worried right now. Guilt hits me hard, for I hadn't exactly been treated like an actual hostage, and neither was I acting like I was one. It would've been so much easier for me to hate Raoul if he'd ever been mean to me, or even hurt me. Instead, he was rather funny, and gentle, even sweet sometimes, making it hard for me to remember that he was the same guy who bombed MI6 and killed M, and who'd caused James so much mental torment.

Last night was the first time that I believed this whole ordeal had affected Raoul, unlike what he tried to convince me of. My guess was that he'd either dreamt about killing M or his imprisonment by the Chinese, perhaps even a mixture of both. I recognized the horrible pain in his eyes, had dreamt the same nightmares, felt the same emotions and trust me, it wasn't nice to be tormented like that. Still, despite having done horrible things and having gone through even worse ones, he still acted rather normal to me. He was like any other person I'd met, but at the same time he was the most unique one I'd ever come across…

Letting out an annoyed huff, I turn off the water and get out of the shower. As I'm drying myself off, I realize that the shampoo and soap smell just like Raoul, an odd but intoxicating smell I can't recognize as anything else but him. I take a deep breath, finding the scent oddly relaxing, then walk back into the bedroom. I rush over to the bag, considering the fact that I'm naked and he could return any minute, then grab a clean red shirt to put on, grabbing my pants from yesterday. I cringe at the fact that I've been wearing the same underwear for two days, but try not to think about it too much. I'd ask Raoul for new underwear when he returned. After brushing my hear (the hotel room even has a blow dryer, yay!), I'm busy brushing my teeth when I hear the door unlock. Just to be sure it's him, I tip toe out of the bathroom, just in time to see Raoul enter, carrying a bag in his hand.

"Hello, love." He says with a grin, chuckling at the sight of me brushing my teeth. I probably wasn't elegant or sexy at all right now, but I couldn't care less.

"Whehhoh." I try to bring out, making him laugh harder. I shrug at it, retreating back into the bathroom.

When I return, there's a strawberry smoothie and a cheese sandwich waiting for me on the table. Raoul's sitting opposite my place at the table, his food already gone, only a bit of his drink left (I think it's a banana milkshake). I eat in peaceful silence, Raoul watching me. When I finish, he's already packed our things, and I follow him out of the room, down the stairs, through the lobby, onto the parking lot, into the car. Once more, he holds the car door open for me, and I smile at the gentlemanly gesture, getting in. Leaning against my seat comfortably, I look at him as he starts the car. It's silent on the road, not many cars driving around right now. When I look at the car's display, I see

it's already 2 in the afternoon, which surprises me. I had no idea we'd slept so long! Then again, we did have a rough night, so I suppose it wasn't that odd after all. After a while of driving, Raoul turns on the radio, and I curl up against the passenger's window, slowly falling asleep.

-3rd POV-

James was currently driving one of the fastest cars in the world, yet he still felt like he wasn't going fast enough. Every time he glanced down at his watch, another minute had passed, another minute for Silva to keep his Rhine from him, another minute for him to escape James' clutches once more. Before, James might even have slightly sympathized with the villain, but now that he'd taken her, James was outraged and beyond reason. The thought alone that Rhine was injured that badly that Silva risked calling in a doctor made his blood boil. He swore to himself that he'd find Silva, and this time he wouldn't miss when he pulled the trigger.

-3rd POV-

'Knock. Knock. Knock.'

Gareth Mallory jolts awake, looking up in a daze.

"Come on in." He calls out, voice still filled with sleep. He forces himself to sit up straight, quickly hiding a yawn behind his hand as Q enters his office. He'd fallen asleep right on top of his desk and now he definitely felt it, his back aching, joints popping in protest.

"Q." Gareth acknowledges him, the young man awkwardly sitting down in the chair opposite him. The youngster's eyes meet his, and he knows Q can see the sleep in his own.

"Sir, I-I've studied Silva's escape, and I noticed something odd… It's not much, but I thought it might, perhaps, be useful…" Q begins to stutter, very nervous indeed. In the beginning, Gareth hadn't been sure why they'd hired the young boy to be the Quartermaster, but after seeing him in action, Gareth had soon realized why. Despite the boy's rather… awful social skills, he was incredibly smart and creative, solving problems and finishing new projects in no time. In his eyes, the boy was a genius. He'd simply learned to be patient with his stuttering and shyness. He figured that, in time, it would diminish slightly.

"Anything can be of use, Q. What did you find out?" Gareth asks him kindly, unable to prevent the spark of hope from glowing up in his chest.

"Bond found the place the doctor called about. It's somewhere near the border of the UK, Sir." Q explains, a new excitement in his eyes, reassured by Gareth's interest. Gareth sits up straighter at that. Finally. This was what he had been waiting for. No one could do something when they didn't even know the direction Silva chose to run off.

"Where are they?" He asks curiously, now on high alert.

"They're now on their way from Scotland to England, Sir."

"Why come back here?" Gareth wonders out loud. Q doesn't give him an answer, for he doesn't know it either.

"Do we have their exact location?" He asks after a moment, looking out the window.

"No, Sir."

"Well, do everything you can to find them. Good work, Q." M orders.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you." Q says, standing up and leaving the office, closing the door behind him.

Sighing deeply, Gareth Mallory opens his laptop. Pulling up a map of the United Kingdom, he studies it closely, following an invisible trail from Ireland to England with his eyes.

Where could she be?


	10. all the good girls go to hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! i'll admit that this is one of my favourite chapters i've written for this story :) Hopefully, you'll like it as well!

"Standing there, killing time  
Can't commit to anything but a crime  
Peter's on vacation, an open invitation  
Animals, evidence  
Pearly Gates look more like a picket fence  
Once you get inside 'em  
Got friends but can't invite them

Hills burn in California  
My turn to ignore ya  
Don't say I didn't warn ya

All the good girls go to Hell  
'Cause even God herself has enemies  
And once the water starts to rise  
And Heaven's out of sight  
She'll want the Devil on her team

My Lucifer is lonely"

-Rhine's POV-  
“Do you regret it?” I ask out of the blue.  
“What?” Raoul asks, throwing me a sideway glance. I had been silent for over an hour, that one question plaguing my mind the entire time.  
“Killing her. Do you regret it?”  
He remains silent for a moment, seeming lost in thoughts for a moment.  
"It felt like the only way out." He eventually explains, making me nod.  
"But it hurts, doesn't it?"  
"Yes." He mutters, rather quietly. Then, he turns the music louder, and I take it as my cue to shut up.

After 30 minutes of awkward silence, I'm getting bored. I shift in my seat, and turn to look outside, but there's literally nothing but the road and green fields. When I let out a sigh, Raoul glances over towards me for a second, then looks back at the road.  
"Look underneath your seat." He suddenly speaks up.  
"What?" I ask, confused, but bend over anyway. For a moment, I search, until my hand grabs hold of something. When I pull it up, I look at it in surprise. It's a book, a Spanish title surrounded by red on the cover, but when I open the book it's written in English.  
"Read it." Raoul adds casually, and I look at him with a puzzled look. Still, I open the book and begin to read, soon enough getting lost in the story. It tells a story about a boy and girl who fall in love without realizing it, rather similar to Romeo and Juliet, but not as dramatic and more realistic. I love it.  
"Rhine." Raoul's voice snaps me out of the story, making me look up at him in surprise.  
"Where are we?" I ask, looking around. It appears to be that we are in a rather busy city.  
"Manchester." He says, surprising me even more by actually telling me.  
"Cool." I bring out, trying to hide my surprise. Why the hell were we back in England?

Raoul drives into an underground parking lot and parks the car. He gets out and somehow manages to reach my door in time to open it for me. I wonder how he keeps on doing that. I just got out of the car, when he stops me from moving by trapping me in between his body and the car. For a moment, my eyes drift down towards his lips, but I quickly refocus on his eyes, trying not to get distracted.  
“We’re in a busy, dangerous city. Follow me and never leave my sight, understood?” He asks, voice serious.  
“Yeah, sure.” I answer, rather skeptical. Was he really stupid enough to bring me to a city as big as this one?  
"I have more enemies than friends here. Once they’ve seen you with me, they won't hesitate to kill you, especially when you're not around me." His eyes are more serious than ever, making me nod. Well, that changed things. Now wouldn't be a good time to escape, apparently.  
"Come." He motions for me to move, closing the car door behind me and locking it. As we’re walking next to each other, Raoul grabs my hand. Automatically, I intertwine my fingers with his, and I smile up at him when he looks down at me in surprise. I take note of how small my hand seems in his large one, and how they seem to fit perfectly. He has the hands of a warrior, strong and calloused, but with long, slender fingers. We take the elevator in silence. Once out of the underground parking, I let Raoul lead me through the city as I look around.

Eventually, Raoul walks into a hotel that's a lot fancier than any of the previous. Surprised, I admire the golden detailing and fluffy red carpets in the lobby. At the desk, I leave it to Raoul to check in. While he’s talking, he wraps an arm around my waist, holding me close. The feeling of his hand on my hip makes a strange sensation rush through me, and I'm momentarily distracted by it. We get a key in seconds, but when I look at the woman behind the desk, the look in her eyes gives away the fact that she fully realizes who Raoul is. Thinking about it as Raoul leads me to an elevator, I realize that if he's willing to take the risk of staying in a fancy hotel where people recognized him, this place must be very dangerous indeed. We stop at the top floor, a door in the middle of the hallway, Raoul unlocking it with the key. Walking inside, my jaw drops.

The room is huge. The wall opposite of the door is entirely made of glass, resulting in a spectacular view over the city. On the left side stands a dark, wooden canopy bed with translucent white curtains hanging around it, the sheets a rich red. In the right wall is another door, that leads through a modern bathroom with a walk in shower, dark tiles covering the floor. When I walk back into the bedroom, I look up at Raoul, awe visible in my eyes.  
"This. Is awesome." I bring out, a big grin on my face. He chuckles at it, dropping his bag next to the left side of the bed, his usual sleeping spot. Then, he pulls out something from it, and lays it onto the bed.  
"Put that on." He orders gently. When he sees my confused look, a smile spreads across his face, dark brown eyes warming slightly  
"We're going to have dinner."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour later, I'm ready. Raoul had gotten me a long, black dress. It's tight fitting, has a split in the left leg and I look stunning in it. He also got me a pair of black heels, new underwear, and even a bit of makeup. It had been kind of him, but at the same time it was yet another sign that it was important to look dangerous and rich here. It made me a bit nervous, but it also could've been the fact that I was going to have dinner with Raoul, one that consisted of a bit more than Chinese take-away. Walking out of the bathroom, I find Raoul standing by the glass wall, looking out across the city. He's dressed in a dark blue tux, the top button of his white dress shirt open, no tie, and when he turns, my stomach does a backflip. He looks incredibly sexy like this. When he sees me, he freezes up as well, eyes taking in my appearance, going up and down my body before meeting my eyes.  
"You look gorgeous." Raoul says, eyes slightly darker as he walks over to me.  
"You look... well, great." I force myself to bring out, still a bit dazzled by his appearance. Smiling at it, he opens the bedroom door, leading me into the hall.

"Shall we?" He asks charmingly, extending an arm. I nod and take his arm, smiling as we walk towards the elevator. Inside, he doesn't let go of me, and when the doors open again he leads me out of the hotel. We walk through the night, street lights illuminating our path. There are still a lot of people on the streets, more than one of them staring.  
"People are staring at us." I mutter to Raoul, a bit uneasy without my gun.  
"They're wondering how you can be this beautiful." He whispers with a smirk, not a single worry readable from his face. I scoff at it, looking back in front of me. The walk doesn't take too long. We stop at a fancy looking restaurant called 'Phillipe's', and Raoul guides me inside. The restaurant is filled with warmth and soft classical music, the interior very intricate and elegant. A waiter walks over to us.

"Mr. Silva." He greets Raoul and leads the way to a table at the back. I'm not even surprised by it anymore, but it does let my mind drift off to last night. He had told me that his real name was Tiago. I'd known that already, but it shocked me that he had told me himself. I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Raoul pulls out a chair for me. Smiling at him, I sit down, and so does he. The waiter hands both of us menus, and I start to read through it. All the names are Spanish, but there's luckily a description of each dish in English as well. After a while, the waiter returns, and I still haven't been able to decide.  
"Would you like anything to drink?" He asks, looking at Raoul. I slowly began to realize that my opinion didn't really matter here.  
"What would you like to drink?" Raoul asks me pointedly, a smile on his face.  
"You can choose." I say with a shrug.  
"Red wine?" He suggests, making me nod.  
"That would be great."  
"A bottle of the best red wine you have, please." Raoul says to the waiter, who nods and walks away.  
"Do you already know what you want to eat?" Raoul asks me when the waiter leaves.  
"I have no idea, there's simply too much to choose from." I admit with a deep sigh.  
"Do you know what's good here?" I ask him, a bit unsure.  
"I come here every time I come to this city." He says, surprising me.  
"Would you mind ordering something for me?" I ask.  
"Of course not." Raoul answers, smiling at me. When the waiter returns with a bottle of wine, he names two dishes in Spanish. I have no clue what he's saying, but my heart skips a beat at the language and the way the words sound so exotic coming from his lips. 

"Do you come to Manchester a lot?" I ask curiously while Raoul is pouring the wine into our glasses. He hands me mine, and we raise our glasses to each other, before I cautiously take a sip. It' delicious, even though I'm usually not one for wine.  
"Yes, mostly for business. Have you been here before?" He answers, rich brown eyes studying me.  
"Never. Now's my first time." I admit, smiling at him.  
"Why do you have so many enemies here?" I ask after a moment.  
"Well, sometimes business is rough. I might've hacked a millionaire or two here and betrayed about 4 others, one of them the head of the Russian mob in this town." Raoul explains, shocking me.  
"The head of the Russian mob?!" I whisper/yell in shock, luckily managing to keep my voice quiet. He chuckles at it, an amused look in his eyes, mixed with a tinge of pride.  
"And a few others." He says with a shrug, making me laugh as well. Right then, the waiter arrives with our food, which is surprisingly fast if you ask me. Raoul has a dish with lamb that looks delicious. For me, he had ordered paella, and it tastes like it came straight from heaven.  
"Hmm, this is delicious." I say after taking a few large bites. Raoul smiles at that.  
"I figured you'd want something not too spicy." He notes, warm eyes looking into mine.  
"I don't really like spicy food." I admit with a grin, making him laugh.  
"Most Britains don't."

"Are you originally from Spain?" I ask curiously, continuing to eat. He nods at that, slight pride in his eyes. It was rather adorable.  
"Then how did you end up at MI6?"  
"Well, I decided to move to England when I was 16. The first day I arrived there, I almost immediately stepped back onto that plane. It was way colder here than back where I came from." He explains. I laugh at that.  
"I actually wanted to become a soldier. But then M took note of my hacking skills, and worked for her from that day on." He continues. His voice turns slightly darker at the mentioning of her, but it disappears when he looks up into my eyes.  
"Don't you miss your family?" I ask.  
"I try to visit them as often as I can." He answers, smiling at the thought.  
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" I ask curiously, the idea of him with siblings a bit strange for me. He came across to me as a bit of a loner.  
"I have 3 brothers." He admits with a grin.  
"Three?!" I exclaim in surprise, making him chuckle.  
"Mother always says we're a handful." He says, making me snicker. I wonder if she knows what her son has been up to lately, but decide not to ask.

"What about you?" Raoul asks after a moment, a curious look in his eyes.  
"There's not much to tell. I don't have any siblings." I admit, chuckling lightly.  
"What about your parents?" He persists.  
"They're both agents. They were sent on a mission together a long time ago, and fell in love. When they got me, I spent nearly every day at MI6." I explain, seeing him laugh amusedly at it.  
"I should've guessed." He mutters, making me chuckle. When he remains silent, I realize I'm not done talking yet.  
"I still practically live there, although I'm not an agent yet. When I'm not there, I'm at home by myself." I say.  
"You don't go to school?"  
"Well, no. I graduated early." I answer, shrugging.

"Do you want to go back to the hotel?" Raoul asks. It's only then I notice how late it had gotten, the huge clock that's hanging on the wall showing we had been here for nearly 3 hours.  
"Yeah, sure." I answer, starting to feel a bit tired. Raoul quickly pays the bill, then leads me out of the restaurant. Once more, I take the arm he offers me, and walk a bit closer to him than earlier, as it's rather cold right now. There aren't many people left on the street, which is why both of us notice it when 5 men step out of an alley a while ahead of us. They're all dressed in suits, something about them screaming 'danger' towards me. Raoul looks at them as well, then tenses slightly, only enough for me to feel it.

"Friends of yours?" I mutter.  
"Not exactly. Do you know Belikov?" He answers, equally quiet.  
"You mean the Russian drug lord who stands on the list of most dangerous men in England? Yes, I do." I sneer, trying to hide my fear.  
"Well, I might have backstabbed him a few years ago." Raoul mutters casually.  
"What?!" I hiss, and it takes all I have not to start to yell at him.  
"Yeah..."  
"You do realize that Belikov is known for killing all the secret agents we've sent after him so far?!" I whisper/yell.  
"Yes, I am aware of that, thank you for reminding me." He notes dryly, and I can feel him smirk. The men, however, turn our way, getting closer by each step we take. They haven't seen us yet, however.  
"What do we do now?" I ask, getting a bit distressed. When he doesn't answer, I turn to look at him, but he swiftly pushes me to the left. I nearly scream, but feel Raoul's hand covering my mouth.  
"Shh." He whispers, and I open my eyes, having shut them in surprise. We're in some dirty alley, Raoul pinning me to the brick wall behind me. Our eyes meet, and my stomach does a backflip when I realize how close we are.

"Fuck." He mutters. Before I can ask, he closes the distance between us and kisses me. For a moment, I freeze up. Then, fireworks explode in my mind, and I kiss him back. His hands are holding my hips tightly, mine tangling in his hair. He growls as he pulls me flush against his body, backing me up against the wall. When his hands move to cup my cheeks, demanding access to my mouth with his tongue, I let out a tiny moan, unable to hold it back. His body reacts to it, moving even closer, and I gasp lightly when I feel his excitement press into my stomach. I faintly hear footsteps pass by the alley we're in, and then Raoul pulls back, almost as fast as it began. He’d done this as a way to prevent Belikov’s men from recognizing him. It was basic spy knowledge, that people wouldn’t really look at two people making out heavily. My head is spinning, and when I open my eyes he's smiling down at me. When I stand up on my toes and grab his collar, yanking him down to my height, I kiss him, shocking him. Soon, we're kissing once more, and I feel like this is where I want to be for eternity. After a while, I pull back, breathless.

"Why?" Raoul asks, breathless as well, resting his forehead against mine.  
"Belikov always sends a man or 2 a bit after the main group." I whisper. He laughs at it, a true, genuine laugh that makes his body shake with laughter. I laugh along with him, letting all the adrenaline leave my body, before sighing.  
When our eyes meet, I lean into him.  
"You're the strangest kidnapper there is." I mutter, making him chuckle.  
"And you're the strangest prisoner."

Somehow, we make it back to our hotel room without coming across more of Raoul's enemies. I slip off my heels and let out a relieved noise, rubbing my aching heels. Raoul chuckles at it, then disappears into the bathroom, leaving me in the bedroom on my own. Sighing, I retrieve Raoul's shirt that is temporarily mine, and quickly undress. My mind goes back to earlier, and my heart skips a beat. I let out a deep sigh. What was happening to me? We kissed. I liked it.  
I'm lying on the right side of the bed, and turn to lie on my left side. Like that, I can look out of the glass wall. It also means I'm not facing Raoul's side of the bed. He's standing under the shower for a while, maybe 10 minutes, the peaceful sound of the water running calming me down slightly. Then, I can hear him turn it off, and after another few minutes I hear the door being opened. I pretend to be asleep, and hear him get in bed, turning off the lights first.  
Everything's silent.  
Then, I can feel him roll over, and I hold my breath when he wraps his arms around my waist. He pulls me closer, my back now resting against his bare chest, my cold legs warming up against his, one arm wrapped around my waist as the other lies underneath my head. Slowly, I let myself relax against him, and smile when I hear him sigh contently. Feeling safe, I fall asleep in his arms, the warmth of his body surrounding me.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
3rd POV  
Gareth Mallory waited impatiently as the phone rang, tapping his foot against the wooden floor in his office.  
“Bond.” Finally, his call’s answered, the familiar voice coming through.  
“Did you find the cabin?” Mallory asks, figuring he’d know who was calling.  
“I did.” Gareth takes a sharp inhale at it, freezing up for a moment.  
“They weren’t there anymore. Silva must’ve figured out the doctor would call the police sooner or later. It seems like they’ve left a long time ago.” Bond admits, and disappointment fills Gareth. He knows he shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up, but he just wanted Rhine to be alright so badly. They knew nothing about what she was going through right now, and that frustrated him.  
“Keep looking, Bond. There might be some clues lying in the cabin about where they could’ve gone now.”  
“I will.”  
Gareth ends the call, sighing deeply.


	11. dance wiv me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I finally found some time to update! hooray for me! let me know what you think ;)

_If I'm out on my own, then I can look at you looking at me_

_If I'm out on a date, then I just shut my eyes, then I can't see_

_Get away from the bar, tell your boyfriend hold your jar_

_And dance with me_

_I see you glance at me, that's why I'm asking, B_

_So let's party, B, come and dance with me_

_Dance wiv me – Dizzee Rascal_

When I wake up, I feel two hands on my shoulders. Quickly, I sit up, punching the person right in the stomach. Still panicking, I quickly move my hair out of my face. On the mattress, I find Raoul, clutching his stomach.

"I'm so sorry! I thought you were an attacker!" I exclaim, still in shock. He grunts at it, moving to sit up once more.

"I was merely waking you up, since it's almost 12 o' clock and I wanted to get back on the road." He explains, looking up at me.

"Next time, I think I'll just let you sleep though." He adds, chuckling slightly. I begin to laugh along, and soon find myself out of breath, laughing uncontrollably with him.

"I'm so sorry." I eventually manage to say, chuckling in between my words.

"It's fine, I got surprised, that's all." Raoul answers, giving me a soft smile.

"I'll get the car. Get dressed." He orders gently as he walks out of the room. I frown a bit at it. I could've gotten used to the fancy room we were staying in, but I guess we had to continue our road trip. Getting up, I quickly put on my pants, along with a hoodie which is actually Raoul's that I find in his backpack. Then, I brush my hair and my teeth. I'm putting my shoes on, when Raoul enters the room once more, car keys in his hands.

"Ready, love?" He asks, a tiny smile on his face.

"Sure." I answer, trying to hide the stupid blush that creeps onto my cheeks as I remember what happened the night before. We're walking next to each other on our way to the underground parking, his arm wrapped around my waist casually, making it clear that I'm with him. Once we reach the car, Raoul opens the door for me, making me throw him a quick smile as I get in. He gets in as well, and we're off once more, soon leaving the city and getting onto the highway. I keep myself busy by continuing to read in my book while Raoul drives. He's very nice company, since he doesn't talk too much, but isn't entirely silent either. At one point, the girl in my book realizes she's fallen in love with the guy and they end up kissing, making me smile like an idiot.

"What happened?" Raoul asks, motioning over to my book with his head before he returns his attention to the road.

"She realizes she's in love with him. They kissed!" I explain giddily, making him chuckle.

"That is a beautiful moment in the story, yes." He admits.

"Wait... You actually read this?!" I exclaim in shock, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Of course. It's a good story." He answers, grinning as I keep staring at him. After a while, I get myself back under control, and decide to put the book away for now, not wanting to finish it so soon.

When a good song that I like comes up on the radio, I begin to sing along softly.

"You're a good singer." Raoul notes after the song ends, clearly surprised.

"Thank you." I answer, grinning at him for a moment. Then, we pass a road sign, drawing my attention.

"Birmingham?" I ask, confused because of it. I can see Raoul frown at it, clearly not too happy that I now know where we are.

"Why would you go back this close to London?" I ask, not understanding him. Being this close to London was a dangerous thing of him to do. He merely ignores me, making me sigh and turn to look out of the window once more.

As we keep on driving, I notice that we drive towards Oxford, going around London. Apparently, he wasn't stupid enough to drive right past the headquarters of MI6. It did sting, knowing that I was only an hour away from James, but there was nothing I could do to escape or to stop Raoul. A bit outside of Oxford, Raoul finds a motel and pulls over. We head inside and he pays quickly, before we get to our room. It's very basic, but clean, and I jump down onto the bed. Raoul chuckles, making me lift my head from the pillow to look at him as he puts the backpack down on his usual side of the bed. I had gotten used to this arrangement by now, and smiled at the sight. Then, Raoul lets himself fall onto the bed as well, lying on his back. As I watch him as he's staring up at the ceiling, I note that his entire body's relaxed.

"Isn't it exhausting to drive for hours?" I ask him, curious.

"Not really. Stiff muscles, that's all." He answers, giving me a side glance, making me chuckle as I turn onto my back as well. It remains quiet between us for a moment, both of us studying the stains on the ceiling.

"We're going somewhere tonight, so I suggest you got some rest. I'm going out to get us some clothes." Raoul says, getting up from the bed. I hum in agreement, hiding my surprise as he grabs the car keys before leaving, locking the door behind him. I sigh, and decide on sleeping. Being on the road for so long got rather exhausting, and I really felt like catching some much needed sleep. After turning onto my stomach, I feel sleep taking over me, making my body feel two times heavier.

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When I wake up, I'm very comfortable. After a moment, I realize I've woken up because of a hand running through my hair gently. Raoul must've already returned. My leg's hooked over one of his, my head on his chest, his arm wrapped around me, keeping me close, the hand on the other arm going through my hair. Opening my eyes, I see the sun has already set, the room dim.

"You're awake." Raoul speaks up, chest rumbling underneath my head. I hum in agreement, choosing to scoot a bit closer to him, not wanting to get up yet. He chuckles at it, his hand still going through my hair.

"You should get ready if we want to be there on time." He says after a while of peaceful silence. I groan, but force myself to get out of the bed, half sleepwalking my way over to the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I see a beautiful dress hanging there. It's a short black dress, a very pretty one at that. I quickly hop into the shower, turning it as hot as it gets, and shower in no time. When I get out of the bathroom, my hair is dry, I've put on some makeup, and I'm wearing the dress, a pair of high heels underneath it.

"I knew you'd look gorgeous in it." Raoul notes, making me smile while trying to fight the blush that's creeping onto my cheeks. He's wearing a dark blue suit, a white dress shirt underneath it, no tie.

"You don't look too bad yourself." I mutter, following him out of the hotel room, my mind going back to yesterday when we kissed. I can't help but smile goofily at it, and scowl at myself when catch myself in the mirror that's inside the elevator. Raoul leads me to the car and opens the door for me, making me get in. Then, he drives off. After a while, he drives onto a parking lot, turning the engine off. Raoul opens the door for me, offering me his hand to help me get out gracefully. Surprised, I look at the large building, loud music coming from it, a long line of people waiting in front of the doors.

"Are we going to a club?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow as I turn to look at him. He nods at it.

"A friend of mine owns it. The guards know not to let you out without me, so don't get anything stupid in that head of yours." He says, smirking smugly. I inwardly curse at it.

"Fine." I mutter, making him chuckle. He offers his arm, and I take it, as he leads me to the doors. He skips the long line of people, causing everyone to stare at the two of us. In front of the doors are 2 bodyguards. Both of them are 3 heads taller than I and 2 times broader, making me step even closer to Raoul, uneasy without my gun. When they notice it's him, they step aside quickly, letting us through. Once more, his status surprises me. There was no way we could've gotten in if they didn't know him.

The music blasts in my ears loudly, the beat reverberating through my chest. Suddenly, Raoul drags me into a deserted hallway, pressing me up against a wall.

"Are you okay?" He asks, eyes checking me worriedly. It's only then that I notice that I'm shaking, my breathing incredibly irregular.

"I'm fine. Bad memory." I mutter, doing my best to push away the memory of two equally large men like the ones by the doors. Seeing them probably triggered the memory to come up. Then, Raoul wraps his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. I hug him back, feeling safe in his arms, and get my breath to steady, matching it to the beat of his heart as I rest my head against his chest. When he feels I've calmed down, he lets go, making me smile up at him.

"Thanks." I say, making him smile, reaching out to push a strand of hair behind my ear. He takes my hand, leading me further into the club. It wasn't uncommon that certain things triggered my memories, which meant that I had learned to push them away. I knew that I wasn't the only one who experienced this, but no one else at MI6 talked about it, not even my parents, so I just kept quiet. The club is very extravagant, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, professional dancers dancing inside glass boxes, luxurious plush red sofas against the walls, and a huge crowd of people dancing on the dancefloor. A guy who's sitting on one of the sofas notices Raoul, and waves him over. Raoul smiles at it, and before I know it they're hugging each other, the other guy motioning for Raoul to sit down next to him. Before I can sit next to him, however, the guy waves his hand again, and 2 women nearly jump on Raoul, their hands wandering everywhere. I freeze up in shock, only to let myself fall down in the empty couch next to them, outraged. While Raoul seems to forget all about me, too busy with the guy and his women, I glare at the dancefloor, pure hot rage running through me.

Suddenly, my eyes meet a pair of blue ones, and I realize the guy had been staring at me for a while. He has messy brown hair and looks to be around my age. When he sees that I noticed him, he grins boyishly, making me smile seductively at him. If Raoul was too busy, I could keep myself entertained. After a moment, the boy motions with his hands for me to come over, making me glance over to Raoul, hesitating. It's when I see a woman run her hands up and down his chest as the other plants kisses along his jawline that I stand up, making my way over to the boy, hiding my rage with a sweet smile. When I reach him, we begin to dance together.

"Hey." He says in my ear, raising his voice so I can hear him over the music.

"Hi." I answer, grinning up at him.

"What's your name?" He asks, making me smile.

"Rhine, yours?"

"Zack."

We don't talk much after that, dancing close to each other. After a while, Zack seems to become confident, placing his hands on my waist, drawing me close. It makes me grin as I dance against him, our bodies moving together fluently. I'm enjoying myself very much, for it had been a while since I'd been out, let alone danced with a guy. Suddenly, time seems to stop as my eyes meet his blue ones once more. He stops dancing, making me do the same, arms wrapping around my waist, pulling me close. When he bends down, I realize he's going to kiss me. For a moment, I hesitate, not knowing what to do. I can hear the beat drumming in my ears, drowning out all the other noises, smell the sweat that hangs in the air along with Zack's cologne, a strangely enticing combination.

'To hell with it.' My mind says, and my eyes close, hands coming up to rest on his chest.

Suddenly, I get grabbed by my arm roughly, my eyes flying open as I'm being dragged away. Zack stares at me as I mouth a 'sorry' at him before turning, doing my best to keep up with Raoul. Turning down various corridors, I realize this place is bigger than I thought it was, although my mind doesn't linger on it for too long. Currently, my mind is screaming at me for being stupid, and for the first time I'm actually afraid of Raoul. Stopping at a door, he unlocks it with a key before practically throwing me inside, slamming the door shut behind him. I stumble forwards due to his strength before whirling around, now angry myself.

"What the hell?!" I exclaim, my anger and aghast.

"Are you nuts?! I take my eyes off of you for one second and suddenly you're kissing a random guy!" Raoul yells back, angry as well. Because of it, his Spanish accent sounds through even more.

"Me? Those two women were practically taking your clothes off!" I yell back at him, not caring how loud we were. I had a feeling that no one would bother to come check on us anyway.

"I was busy arranging something serious!" Raoul shouts, anger in his eyes as he stalks over to me, trying to intimidate me by towering over me.

"I don't care! It didn't matter if I was there or not, you simply ignored me, just like everyone else back there!" I exclaim, not moving, my nose almost against his chest.

"This was serious business, Rhine! Involving you would only get you into trouble!" Roaul fires back, staring me down.

"Well then I don't see the problem! I just got myself out of trouble!" I yell, glaring up at him.

"I'm sick of you not listening! Why can't you just understand that I was helping you?!" Raoul shouts.

"What?! You helping me?! You must be shitting me! You're the one who's dragging me across the country! You're the one that killed M! You’re the one who kidnapped me and took me from James! YOU'RE SUCH AN ASS!" By now, I'm literally screaming, punching his chest in anger. At that, Raoul's glare intensifies. He grabs a hold of my wrists, holding my hands against him to stop me from moving, despite my protests.

"LET ME GO-" Suddenly, Raoul kisses me, lips moving roughly against mine. The next second, I kiss him back, and that's when both of us lose control. Raoul lifts me up, making me wrap my legs around his waist, my hands grabbing a hold of his dress shirt, starting to unbutton it as fast as I can, his hands tightly holding me into place. Suddenly, he drops me, and I fall on my back onto a bed. I vaguely note that we're in a bedroom, but lose that thought when Raoul appears above me, swooping down to kiss me again. I quickly help Raoul out of his shirt, tossing it in a random direction as I eagerly begin to explore his bare skin with my hands. He moans lowly at it against my lips. His lips move to my cheek, tracing kisses along my jawline, going down to my neck. He nips and sucks the skin of my neck, making me moan loudly, unable to hold it back. Raoul lowers his body onto mine, and I gasp when I feel his erection pressing into my thigh. Then, his hands move to my back, finding the zipper of my dress, quickly unzipping it before tossing it away.

For a moment, he pulls back, eyes taking in my body hungrily. It makes my cheeks turn red, causing him to lean down and kiss my cheeks. I grab his face in return, pulling him down so I can kiss him.

"You're still an ass." I mutter when I have to pull back for air, making him chuckle against my skin.

"You're still an idiot." He whispers back. I playfully smack him against his chest, making him wrap his arms around my waist, turning with me so I'm now on top. I grin at the position, leaning down to kiss him, making him groan as my body is pressed against him fully. After a while of me teasing him, kissing and licking and biting my way down, exploring his muscled chest, he growls, flipping us over once more. When I realize he's still wearing his pants, I reach down to grab his belt, moving to open it as he kisses my neck, making me moan. Soon, his belt falls to the floor, and I hear him kick off his shoes. My hands fumble with his pants, succeeding to open them with slight difficulty due to Raoul's lips moving lower and lower. As I slide his pants down his legs with my feet, he reaches behind my back, unclasping my bra, the two soon joining our other clothes on the floor. The rest of the night is a pure bliss, filled with both our moans and gasps.


	12. earned it

_'Cause, girl, you're perfect_

_You're always worth it_

_And you deserve it_

_The way you work it_

_'Cause, girl, you earned it,_

_Shit_

_Girl, you earned it,_

_Yeah_

_You know our love would be tragic, oh, yeah_

_So you don't pay it, don't pay it no mind, mind, mind_

_We live with no lies_

_Hey, hey_

_You're my favorite kind of night_

_So I love when you call unexpected_

_'Cause I hate when the moment's expected_

_So I'ma care for you, you, you_

_I'ma care for you, you, you, you, yeah_

When I wake up, warmth surrounds me. As I open my eyes, I realize my leg's hooked behind one of Raoul's, my head on his chest, my hair splayed across it, his arms wrapped around me tightly. It's when I notice we're both naked that I remember what happened the night before, making me smile before I close my eyes again.

"Goodmorning, sleeping beauty." Raoul whispers, causing me to open my eyes once more. Propping myself up on one elbow, I look down at him, smiling at the sight of his disheveled hair, his brown eyes smiling back at me.

"Goodmorning." I whisper back, leaning down to kiss him sweetly. His hands grab my hips, pulling me close. When I pull back, Raoul hums, sounding satisfied. I lie back down, scooting close to him. His hand strokes my bare back absentmindedly, making me smile.

"We should get going." Raoul speaks up after a while of silence, making me groan in protest.

"Really?" I pout, making him chuckle.

"Yes." He answers, trying to stay serious.

"Fine." I mutter, playing to be sad, and get out of bed, making my way over the bathroom. I take a long, hot shower, a stupid smile never leaving my face. Last night had been... mind blowing, to be honest. I didn't really regret it, even though I had slept with the 'enemy'. James would be so mad when he found out! Still, it had been worth it.

When I walk back into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around my body, Raoul has already left, presumably getting breakfast or something like that. Rummaging through his backpack, I find a clean white shirt, putting it on, along with my pants, happy to be wearing normal clothes again. Don't get me wrong, I liked dresses too, but this was simply much more comfortable. Suddenly, my eyes land upon our clothes that are still scattered across the floor, making me grin like a lunatic. I pick them up and throw them into the backpack before zipping it up.

"Hey." Raoul speaks up as he enters the room, carrying a large tray full of delicious looking food. He carefully places it on the bed, making me sit on it, him opposite me. I grab a plate that has bacon and eggs piled onto it, and dig in, as Raoul grabs a red apple. When our eyes meet, he gives me a smile, making me grin, blushing horribly. After we finish the extensive breakfast, Raoul leads me outside, into the car. He turns it on and we drive off. As I lean against the car window, I slowly fall asleep.

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-3rd POV-

"Sir." James Bond bursts into Gareth Mallory's office, the door slamming against the wall. Gareth jumps up in shock, head previously resting on his desk. He had been sleeping again.

"00." He answers tiredly, rubbing the stubble that had been growing on his cheeks for the previous days.

"We found them." James says, making Gareth snap his head up in surprise.

"Tell me more." He orders impatiently.

"The car Silva escaped in was recognized on cameras. They drove through Manchester." James says, barely containing his own hope.

"Send agents there immediately and keep following the roads." Gareth orders quickly, making James nod before he rushes out of the office, leaving the head of MI6 behind. Once more, Gareth Mallory pulls up a map of the United Kingdom on his computer, quickly finding Manchester. Why on Earth would the criminal go all the way back, towards the direction of London?

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When I wake up, it's already dark outside.

"You sleep so long that it's not normal anymore, you know that right?" Raoul speaks up from beside me, making me chuckle.

"I can't really help the fact that you kept me up last night." I tease, looking over at him to see him smirk smugly.

"You liked it though." He fires back, giving me a quick side glance.

"Of course." I answer, making him laugh softly.

"Why the hell are we in Dover?" I ask, confused when I see the road sign. Raoul remains silent at it, as I slowly begin to realize it.

"Are we going to cross the ocean to Calais?" I ask him, turning to see his reaction.

"You'll see." Raoul mutters, hiding any body language that could give him away from me. Stupid former spy with his stupid tricks!

I'm surprised when after a bit more of driving, Raoul pulls over at a small house. He retrieves keys from his back pocket and unlocks the door, making me follow him inside. It's a nice, cozy house. When you step through the door, you enter the hallway. On the end of the hallway is a dining room with open kitchen, and there's another door in the hallway, leading towards a pair of stairs. If you ascend those, you reach a bedroom with an adjacent bathroom.

"I'm going to get us dinner in town." Raoul says as he drops his backpack next to the bed. I hum in agreement before making my way to the bathroom, planning on taking a shower, since there wasn't much else to do when he wasn't around. When I get out of the bathroom, I retrieve my book from the backpack, settling down on the bed, hiding underneath the sheets.

"Hello, love." A voice speaks up after a while, startling me.

"Hi." I answer, sighing in relief when I notice it's just Raoul, holding a plastic bag in his hand.

"Are you coming down for dinner? I called you from downstairs, but you didn't hear me." He asks, smiling from where he's standing in the doorway.

"Sure, I must've been too occupied reading. I'll be right there." I answer, getting up from the bed, putting my book on the nightstand. Downstairs, I find the dining table already laid, spaghetti waiting for me on my plate. We both begin to eat in silence, a radio playing softly in the background. After that, I make my way back upstairs, as I can hear Raoul put everything away downstairs before turning off the lights. When he enters the bedroom, I'm back to reading my book. I can hear him change into something more comfortable to sleep in, making me glance up briefly. I freeze up when I see him in nothing but a pair of sweatpants.

"You're staring again." Raoul teases, making me grin apologetically.

"I can't help it when you walk around with no shirt." I answer, making him chuckle as he walks over to his side of the bed, crawling underneath the sheets. I try to focus on reading my book, but fail miserably, eyes darting away to him every once and a while. When I feel a hand on my bare leg, I jump in surprise, as Raoul chuckles.

"Raoul!" I exclaim, playfully hitting him on the chest. He quickly grabs my wrists, putting the book away before pulling me over to him, pinning me underneath him. When he begins to tickle my sides, I begin to laugh uncontrollably, squirming underneath his hold.

"Stop!" I yell, trying to catch my breath as my stomach hurts like hell. Finally, Raoul stops, making me gasp to take in enough air, as he's still laughing above me. When I calm down, I look up into his eyes with a glare.

"That hurt!" I accuse him, not really meaning it, making him laugh even harder. I can't help but smile at the rich, deep sound of it, for I rarely get to see him this relaxed. When he calms down as well, our eyes meet once more, and he smiles, something changing in the air between us.

Slowly, Raoul bends down, capturing my lips with mine. I kiss back eagerly, surprised by how gentle he's being with me. Then, he deepens the kiss, his tongue meeting mine, his hands on my hips as mine go through his hair, loving how soft it feels. When I feel him pull my shirt off, I help by raising my arms, grinning as our eyes meet when he throws it away. As we resume our kiss, my hands wander down his shirt, grabbing the bottom of it to take it off, Raoul's lips placing sweet, hot kisses down my jawline. Soon, all our clothes are on the floor, the night filled with sweet whispers and moans.


	13. cold

_Cold enough to chill my bones_

_It feels like I don't know you anymore_

_I don't understand why you're so cold to me_

_With every breath you breathe_

_I see there's something going on_

_I don't understand why you're so cold_

_Are we taking time, or a time out?_

_I can't take the in-between_

_Asking me for space here in my house_

_You know how to fuck with me_

_Acting like we're not together_

_After everything that we've been through_

_Sleeping up under the covers_

_How am I so far away from you?_

When I wake up, it's cold. Shivering, I sit up in bed, pulling the sheets close to me. Looking around, I frown, noticing the spot beside me is empty. A strange feeling makes my stomach turn, and I decide to go find him. Something was wrong.

"Raoul?" I call out, getting out of the bed. I grab a shirt of his that I find on my side of the bed and put it on, checking the bathroom first. It's empty, so I head downstairs, worried at how quiet the house is. He isn't in the living room, nor is he in the kitchen. I even open the back door to check if he's in the garden, shivering at the cold air hitting my legs. When I walk back into the living room, I see it. On the coffee table lies a phone, a folded paper lying next to it. I walk over to it, and open it, beginning to read it, hands trembling.

Legs shaky, I sit down on the couch, letting go of the letter due to my hands trembling so heavily, my heart beating like mad as it seems to be beating out of my chest, hurting badly. Then, I take a deep breath and take the phone, shakily dialing the number I know by heart. Time to go home.

"Bond." I hear the familiar voice pick up, making me tear up.

"James." I answer, quickly wiping away my tears with one hand, trying to sound as composed as possible.

"Rhine? Where are you?" James asks quickly, voice full of shock.

"Dover. Raoul disappeared." I answer, hearing him bark orders at people.

"Do you know anything else?" He asks, as I can hear him rush outside, cars passing by on the other side of the phone.

"No. All I know is that he left. He left a phone." I answer. I had no idea why I was lying for Raoul, fully knowing he was probably on his way to Calais already.

"I'll get there as soon as I can. I'm tracking your phone as we speak." James says, voice serious as I hear myself being transferred to the speaker of a car, James no doubt speeding off.

"I'll wait here for you." I say softly, wiping away some more silent tears.

"I'm glad you're okay, Rhine." James says, surprisingly emotional, before he ends the call. I drop the phone onto the table, and all I can do is stare at the letter on the table, the words sounding in my head.

‘ _This was the only way. I’m sorry.’_

It was all Raoul had left me with, but those 7words were crushing my heart like a hammer. I remain there for I don't even know how long, staring at that damned letter, my knees pulled up to my chest, my chin resting on them, until I hear the door bursting open.

"Rhine!" I hear James exclaim, glancing up just in time to see him charging towards me, kneeling down next to me. When he notices something's off, he takes me into his arms, sitting down to lean against the couch with his back, holding me close. It's then that I begin to cry, softly, my tears staining his shirt.

"Shh, it's alright." James mutters in my ear, his hands rubbing my back soothingly. After what feels like another eternity, I calm down, ending up breathing deeply against his chest, feeling exhausted, my eyes closing on their own accord.

"Let's go home.” He whispers, and I know I’ll be alright in the end. James was here for me.


End file.
